CPS Reports Detail Warning Signs Before Orangevale Boy's Murder

ORANGEVALE (CBS13) — Warning signs leading to the tragic murder of a 5-year-old Orangevale boy were all over Child Protective Services documents obtained by CBS13.

Zachary Prater-Stokes' mother and her boyfriend are charged with his murder.

The heavily redacted CPS documents shed some light on the short life of the 5-year-old. His file shows two emergency response investigations by Sacramento CPS in 2013. One documented a witness description reportedly hearing "wailing" inside the home, hearing a "heavy impact on the floor" and "cries out of fear" from the child.

A separate investigation was linked to reported dangerous behavior in close proximity to the child. Documents described a person whose name is redacted as "extremely agitated and under the influence of drugs."

The CPS risk assessment rated the environment as a moderate risk of abuse and neglect, but the evidence didn't lead CPS social workers to remove the boy from his home.

"The fact that this child died, does not necessarily mean these social workers did anything wrong," said University of the Pacific McGeorge professor John Myers, "Which is hard for the public to understand."

He says the documents show CPS followed their duty to investigate abuse and neglect reports.

"The scores that were done in this case indicated moderate risk but moderate risk does not mean that the child has to be removed," he said.

Firefighters arrived at the boy's Orangevale home on a report of a drowning and instead found him unresponsive with injuries to his body. His mother and her boyfriend are now charged with murder.