A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the siblings of 8-year-old Genesis Mata alleges that Kern County child welfare officials exhibited systemic failures that led to the child's torture and death in August 2025. The complaint, first reported by KGET, claims Kern County Child Protective Services (CPS) repeatedly ignored numerous reports of abuse and neglect involving Genesis and her siblings.
The lawsuit names the Kern County Department of Human Services, its director Lito Morillo, approximately 20 social workers and supervisors, and the La Quinta Inn where Genesis was found dead. It argues that the agency's inaction directly resulted in Genesis' death and reflects a pattern of breakdowns in the county's child welfare system.
Genesis, born in November 2016, was described by relatives as a bright and affectionate child. According to the lawsuit, her biological mother left Genesis and her brother with relatives in 2018 before custody was transferred to her father, Ray Mata Jr., and stepmother, Graciela Bustamonte. Police discovered Genesis' body on August 2, 2025, in a locked bathroom at a Bakersfield La Quinta Inn. Prosecutors allege that prior to her death, Genesis endured days of severe abuse, including being burned with microwaved water, beaten with electrical cords, and having her fingers crushed in a door frame. Her father allegedly punched her in the abdomen, rendering her unconscious.
The suit contends that CPS received at least 20 reports detailing the abuse of Genesis and her siblings, including concerns from mandated reporters such as school personnel who noted the children were missing school and exhibited visible bruises. Despite these warnings, the lawsuit asserts that CPS failed to intervene, remove the children from the situation, follow up on reports, or track Mata after he allegedly absconded, thereby placing the children in "state-related danger."
The lawsuit also draws parallels between Genesis' death and other child welfare failures in Kern County. It cites the unsolved murders of foster brothers Classic and Cinsere Pettus and the 2024 death of 3-year-old Alejandro Andres Perez Jr., who was allegedly beaten to death by his foster mother. These cases, the complaint argues, are part of a broader pattern of understaffing, inadequate training, and failure to investigate abuse reports within Kern County CPS.
A 2025 Kern County Grand Jury report is also referenced in the lawsuit, which reportedly found the agency to be underfunded and overburdened with caseloads. Following Genesis' death, the Kern County Board of Supervisors commissioned an independent review of CPS, which is being conducted by the Social Policy Institute at San Diego University.
The allegations in the lawsuit have not yet been proven in court, and Kern County officials have not yet issued a public response to the claims.