Custody Dispute Involves Child in Alleged Murder Attempt on Father’s Family By Mother Toni Valentin, Boyfriend Dante Quezada
Written by: Rob
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Use of Our Content (Reposting and Quoting)
Toni Valentin, mother of a 5-year-old daughter, was unhappy with the child custody arrangement she had with her ex-husband. On February 17, 2009, she and her boyfriend Dante Quezada allegedly took the daughter to her father’s brother’s home in the 300 block of West 47th Street in Los Angeles, where she believed the father was located at the time, in a minivan allegedly driven by their friend Felipe Carias. Quezada then allegedly proceeded to shoot out the windows of the home with a semi-automatic pistol, in the process shooting the daughter’s 7-year-old cousin in the chest and arm as she was doing her homework. Apparently they were hoping to kill the 5-year-old’s father while she watched. Fortunately, her cousin is expected to fully recover.
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Gang Activity Wrongly Blamed
Initially, police and citizens were blaming this crime on gang activity in the area as you can see in the video below. (For unknown reasons, this isn’t displaying properly in some web browsers. You can visit Girl, 7, wounded in South L.A. shooting to see the video in another window.)
Shooting Motivated by Child Custody Dispute
However, further investigation determined that while the suspected shooter is a gang member, it is not a typical gang crime.
Instead, the shooting is yet another example of the bizarre world of child custody disputes, parental alienation, and child abuse. This time, it involved premeditated attempted murder with child abuse by exposing a 5 year old girl to witnessing attempted murder against her father and relatives.
Valentin May Lose Child Custody Over Shooting
Apparently the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is going to re-evaluate the divorce case’s unfinalized custody of the Valenti’s 5 children in light of this drive-by shooting.
Cynically speaking, perhaps we shouldn’t get our hopes up that DCFS (LA’s version of CPS) might actually make a finding that taking a 5 year old to witness the attempted murder of her father is child abuse and child endangerment and warrants termination of the mother’s custody and transfer of that custody to the father. After all, it seems like a sure thing that the mother will have “so many reasons” why the father should be shot and killed. False allegations by females, no matter how outrageous, seem to carry a lot of weight for the government. Given how biased law enforcement involving divorces and domestic violence is, we’re skeptical that the mother’s participation in attempted murder of the father will have much affect on DCFS’s findings.
We do hope to be proven wrong, however, as we’re hoping for progress towards a day in which equal shared parenting is the law and criminal stunts and child abuse like this don’t happen any more.
Further Reading
Girl expected to live after L.A. shooting
Last of 3 to be arraigned for girl shot
Aunt, 2 men held in shooting of South L.A. girl, 7 (text and video)
3 Arrests Made In Shooting Of 7-Year-Old Girl
Police: Custody dispute prompted drive-by shooting
5-Year-Old Tattles; Mom Arrested for Attempted Murder
| Child Abuse, Child Custody, Children, Crime, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Family, Legal, Parental Alienation, Partner Violence |
I assuming you feel as though you have all the facts as to what led up to this situation , however you have no clue what the biological father did to these children and there mother for years. Hell I woul have killed him myself. By the way I’m Toni Valentin’s mother!
@Terrie Conn
I don’t have all the facts. Seldom does anybody “have all the facts” regarding a crime, even if there are eyewitnesses and surveillance footage of it happening.
Likewise, I am quite sure that you don’t have all the facts, either. Even if you’re admitting to being there for the attempted murder, there’s realistically no way you could have been omniscient enough to see what did or did not happen at all times involving the child and her parents.
If you want to share what you think happened, go ahead. Please be specific and differentiate between what you personally observed and what you were told. Often people involved in crimes like this are pathologically dishonest. They may have all sorts of justifications for murder that seem acceptable to them, yet others who are more objective can see that little to none of it is actually accurate or reasonable.
Furthermore, assuming you really are Toni Valentin’s mother, you’re just highlighting what is wrong with your daughter and your family. Justifying premeditated homicide of a parent with a child witnessing it as you’re doing is truly bizarre thinking indicative of some serious psychological problems.
If you’re delusional enough to think that there is any justification of premeditated homicide of a child’s parent with the child present to witness it, it’s not surprising your daughter is troubled, too.
Your grandchild is at serious risk for becoming similarly psychologically damaged because of the problems in your family.
Child abuse could explain what is going on in your family. The cycle of child abuse causes damage to generation after generation, and it’s apparently been barreling right towards your granddaughter.
While I’m definitely not one to think that CPS / DCFS does an iota of good for most kids, if your family is murderous and thinks that is OK, I could see why they might want to remove your granddaughter from the family.
Please, get some mental health care help for your family before more people get hurt.
who ever you are you know nodda about any of it . rob did it ever dawn on you why she would have her 5–year old in the car with her to do this ? she had just left her x’s house the one there the cops are saying she went to get , not her gang -ass boyfriend who abused her all the time threated her all the time . you think he couldn’t have force her to do what ever he said for fear of hurting her and her daughter ?? think about it rob . people do alot a stuff they would’t normally do out of fear for there life or kid . think on that for awhile , seams too me you don’t know squat about any of this , but what you’ve read or heard on the news , which is 80% wrong all the time . and last of all remember there are 2–sides to ever story . do you know hers ? didn’t think so . so you are surely no expert on this matter at all .
Isn’t it interesting how inconsistent the versions of events presented by self-claimed “insiders” on this case are?
We have “Terrie Conn” claiming she’s Toni Valentin’s mother and that it was OK to attempt premeditated murder of the ex-husband because she alleges he was abusive.
Next we have “doe-ray-me” claiming that Toni Valentin was being abused by her gang-banger boyfriend and was forced by him to take her daughter to attempt murder on her ex-husband. Is that how everybody else reads that comment?
Toni Valentin is free to post her version of events here. The truth is always a refreshing change. We’ve posted comments from people who don’t like what we have to say. Clearly there’s room for more information and opinion. It would be nice, however, if there was some consensus about what actually happened in this drive-by shooting with a little 5 year old girl in the car watching the gunfire take place and resulting in a 7 year old being shot and wounded.
@Rob
first of all
terrie conn is her mother rob.
second
i am her cousin im not saying what she did was right but her ex husband doesnt deserve to have those kids in his custody.
third
only toni and the people who were there know what really happend that night
Please, get some mental health care help for your family before more people get hurt.
really?? your a grown man saying my family should get help learn about the rest of the family before you open your mouth or write on a web page
I did give birth to Toni Conn and I will always be her mother and no we do not have a relationship because of the choices that she has made, however before one runs there mouth about any situation they should have all the facts and since no one here including myself does then perhaps one should do there own investigation of all the facts. My niece Raeanna Conn is my brothers daughter and should not have to made to feel as though she has to protect her family from unknown people who choose to judge! I have not spoken to Toni Conn or Valentin since 2002 and when this inexcusable crime took place I went to 1 court hearing and never returned because Toni thought it was a joke and she would get away with it because she was only the driver ” and that for me was the last straw’! If you think I’m a bad mother be my flipping guest! If I never see her or hear from her it means nothing to me” as she told me I don’t have a mother” so were I’m concerned you reap what you so! I did not raise her so don’t blame me for her actions blame her. I’m well traveled, highly educated , own my home, I have a great job, I don’t drink or drug and I’ve been with the same man for 24 yrs.
Raeanna ,
Honey I’m so sorry that you have been placed in this position, baby don’t ever defend the love and goodness of the family you come from, know that ignorance is blessed and not all come with common since! Also know that when one bashes another there are underline issues that they themselves have not faced. You are a smart girl and beautiful and know that love and strength come from within. I love you
Aunt Terrie