Gardena Boy Rescued From House Fire Returns to Parents
It's never really been clear what happened inside a Gardena home June 22. All we know was three Gardena police officers found the house on fire and had a really difficult time getting to the family inside because of a bunch of junk in their way and the mom and dad - Nicole and William Spitzer - running around acting incoherent. They were able to get little Billy out after finding the pajama-clad 4-year-old screaming and rooted in fear in the burning kitchen.
Police and prosecutors always suspected Nicole, 34, and William, 55, were on drugs at the time. Nicole told police the fire broke out while she was cooking her son a hot dog ... at 1 a.m. In the end, they each received probation for child abuse and drug charges against them were dropped.
Billy was placed in the care of his aunt and uncle. They figured out pretty quick he needed some extra-special care. He was diagnosed with autism and began participating in various programs. His aunt, Casey Preston, sent this in an e-mail today:
Hello,
Just wanted to let everyone know, that family court (Department of Children and Family Services) has decided to send Billy home to his parents. He was returned to them on this past Tuesday, April 8th.
Hopefully, his parents will comply with court orders and continue getting him all the services he needs.
Keep praying for Billy!!! He is going to need all the help he can get.
Thanks,
Casey and Matt
My last article on the case is after the jump.
Gardena couple gets probation in fire case
William Spitzer , 55, and Nicole Spitzer , 34, each pleaded no contest to one count of felony child abuse. In return, prosecutors dropped drug charges against them.
The couple were headed to trial in Torrance Superior Court when they took the deal that spared them a possible six years in prison if convicted. If they violate probation, they could be sent to prison for two years.
As a condition of their probation, they must continue drug tests and ensure their son, Billy , attends therapy sessions, according to Deputy District Attorney Paulette Paccione.
Billy was placed with family members, who had him tested for autism and now have him enrolled in various programs.
" Billy is doing great," said Casey Geier, whose husband is Mrs. Spitzer 's brother. "He's a happy little boy."
Geier and her husband are still battling the Spitzers in family court over custody of Billy . A hearing is scheduled for next month.
The home in the 16700 block of South Halldale Avenue caught fire just after 1 a.m. June22.
Officers who responded testified at a preliminary hearing in August that they heard screams from inside, but had trouble getting in because rubble and boxes were blocking the way.
Inside, they found the couple running around and screaming, and pulled them outside. The officers entered and left a couple more times until they found Billy in the kitchen, surrounded by flames, crying.
Once everyone was safe, the officers began to suspect that the Spitzers were under the influence of a controlled substance.
Mrs. Spitzer , who is expecting another child in May, gave a urine sample that tested positive for drugs.
Spitzer refused to give a blood or urine sample. But an officer who spoke to him at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where Billy was treated for smoke inhalation, testified that Spitzer showed symptoms of being under the influence and failed a field sobriety test.
Paccione said the cause of the fire was never determined because it started in the kitchen, which was too badly burned for investigators to make any conclusions.
Mrs. Spitzer had said she was making hot dogs for her pajama-clad son, but authorities suspected methamphetamine was cooking on the stove.
denise.nix@dailybreeze.com
Section: NEWS
Page: 12A
Record Number: to-0208-a12-926-tn08_spitzers-196.xml
Copyright 2008, Daily Breeze, All Rights Reserved
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Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
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About the Blogger
Denise Nix knew as young as grade school, when she spent every summer working on the camp newspaper, that she wanted to be a journalist. Denise has spent most of the last 12 years of her career in the courtroom. She joined the Daily Breeze in 2001, where she tracks and reports on hundreds of cases at every level of the justice system. And she's never, ever, seen a judge use a gavel.
E-mail Denise at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com.
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It's hard to believe that this child would be sent to live with his parents - especially in light of the fact that his Aunt and Uncle are willing to care for him. If anything happens to this boy (and it will - it just might not make the news) it will be on the hands of the person who made that stupid decision. And to top it off - there is ANOTHER child being born into this disturbing situation.