THREE FAMILY MEMBERS ARRESTED FOR SUSPECTED ABUSE LEADING TO DEATH OF SPRING VALLEY GIRL, 11

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

Victim was adopted daughter of Rock Church elder and ministry leader

By Miriam Raftery

November 8, 2022 (Spring Valley) -- Three people have been arrested and charged in relation to the death of 11-year-old Arabella McCormack of Spring Valley. Those arrested are the child’s adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, 49, and Leticia McCormack’s parents, Stanley Tom, 75, and Adella Tom, 49.  All are charged with torture and willful cruelty to a child; Stanley Tom and Leticia McCormack have also been charged with murder.

The child’s adoptive father, Brian McCormack, shot and killed himself in the presence of deputies investigating the case. A family member and a neighbor told NBC 7 that Brian McCormack was a Border Patrol agent.  He was also an ordained elder at Rock Church, according to the Roy Report, which found a Google search cache indicating that he also served as ministry leadership program coordinator at the Rock School of Ministry. His wife,  Leticia McCormack, was also a volunteer ministry leader for the church, Rock Church confirmed to NBC 7.

Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s station responded to a call of a child in distress on August 30 shortly before 2 a.m. at a home in the 3300 block of Lakeview Drive in Spring Valley. The child was rushed to a hospital with suspected signs of child abuse, but her health declined and she later died in the hospital.

Arabella’s two sisters, ages 6 and 7, have been removed from the family’s home and are currently living with a foster family. The children’s birth parents, Chelsey Sambrano, said their children appeared emaciated in photos, with bruises, scabs and broken teeth, according to an article in the Roys Report. The parents also told Roys Report that their youngest daughters are in intensive care to treat an electrolyte imbalance resulting from malnutrition.

The couple said they lost custody of their children in 2013 after an incident that they said involved a verbal altercation and have not seen their children in person since 2019. They contend that their children’s adoption violated the Indian Child Welfare Act intended to keep Native American families together whenever possible.

They said after viewing photos of their children showing signs of starvation and abuse, and following an in-person visit in 2018, they reported their concerns to both Child Welfare Services and The Rock Church, but that neither took their concerns seriously. They told Roys Report that Arabella’s school contacted CWS four times in 2018 alleging that Bryan McCormack abused her on campus, but the children denied the allegations and no action was taken by authorities.

Two of the suspects were arrested yesterday in Lucerne Valley, San Bernadino County and the third was apprehended in Ocean Beach.

The case raises troubling questions. Why did CWS and Rock Church fail to take action to protect Arabella and her siblings? 

The Rock Church has faced other child abuse allegations. A former teacher at the Rock Academy run by Rock Church, David Looney, pleaded guilty earlier this year to crimes associated with alleged sexual abuse of a former student. Rock Church has also been sued by multiple families in civil court alleging that another church employee sexually abused their children back in 2013. A former Rock Church pastor has also sued, claiming he was fired for reporting witnessing child molestation in a church elevator; however, the suits were later dismissed.

Mei Ling Nazar, a church spokesperson, told Roys Report that Rock Church is “committed to cooperating” with investigators and extended condolences and prayers for those grieving the loss of Arabella McCormack.  The Church has also revoked its ordination of Leticia McCormack, who no longer works at Rock Church, NBC 7 reports.

The Sheriff’s department is asking anyone with information about these crimes to call the Sheriff's Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330. After hours, call the Sheriff's non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200.  You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

In a statement, the Sheriff’s department states, “The safety of our children is of paramount importance to the Sheriff's Department. We respond to all reports alleging child abuse and neglect. Conducting an accurate investigation is a long and tedious process. Gathering evidence and conducting interviews must be done methodically while protecting the children and preserving the rights of parents and family members.”

 


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.