This browser does not support the Video element.
Turpin children receive settlement
The lawsuit alleged that six of the Turpin children suffered abuse not only in their biological home in Perris, but again while placed in foster care after their rescue.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. - The Turpin siblings have resolved two major civil lawsuits against Riverside County and the foster care agency ChildNet, securing a confidential settlement following years of litigation regarding their treatment in the foster care system.
What we know:
The settlement addresses claims that the Turpin children were subjected to further abuse and neglect while in the care of ChildNet and Riverside County after their 2018 rescue from their parents’ "House of Horrors."
The siblings’ attorneys, Oakwood Legal Group and Booth Law, announced the resolution Wednesday, noting that the defendants did not admit to any wrongdoing.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Turpin siblings case: Foster family admits to child abuse, reaches plea deal
The lawsuits alleged that ChildNet placed the children with the Olguin family, where a foster parent later pleaded guilty to lewd acts involving a child and was sentenced to prison.
Dig deeper:
A report found that the social service system failed the Turpin children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 when they were rescued by authorities from their parents’ home after their 17-year-old sister escaped and called 911. Eventually, six of the children were placed with the Olguins.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Perris foster family accused of abusing Turpin girls pleads not guilty
This browser does not support the Video element.
Six Turpin children sue over abuse from foster family
Six of the 13 children victimized in Riverside County's most notorious parental child abuse case filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the county and a Long Beach-based foster care agency for placing them in another allegedly abusive household, where their attorneys say they were subjected to sexual assaults, psychological torment and other offenses.
Attorneys representing some of the Turpin children filed a civil lawsuit against Riverside County alleging the Olguins abused minors in their care. The couple hit the children in the face with sandals, pulled their hair, forced them to eat their own vomit and made them sit in a circle and recount the trauma they had experienced in their parents’ home, the attorneys wrote in the lawsuit filed in 2022. The suit also accused Marcelino Olguin of sexual abuse.
The backstory:
The Olguin family was tasked with caring for the children after they were rescued from horribly abusive conditions in their parents’ home in the Southern California community of Perris.
The children's parents, David and Louise Turpin, pleaded guilty in 2019 to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children and starving them and providing only a minimal education.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Turpin house of horrors: Riverside County investigating siblings' allegations of neglect by county
Both were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
What they're saying:
Attorneys for the family stated that the siblings' bravery in coming forward led to "concrete and long-overdue steps toward improving child safety."
They also condemned ChildNet's previous claims that the children were "thriving" in their care as "profoundly disturbing." Conversely, Riverside County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen clarified that while reforms were made, "the changes were implemented following an independent investigation launched in 2021" and were not negotiated terms of the settlement.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Turpin kids foster dad sentenced for child abuse
Marcelino Olguin was sentenced to seven years in prison for abusing foster children he had assigned to care for in his home, including some who had been previously tortured by their parents.
Timeline:
January 14, 2018: 17-year-old Jordan Turpin escapes through a window and calls 911, leading to the rescue of her 12 siblings from their Perris, California, home.
February–April 2019: Parents David and Louise Turpin plead guilty to 14 felony counts and are sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
2018–2021: The six youngest siblings are placed with foster parents Marcelino and Rosa Olguin. During this time, they allege they were subjected to new physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
November 2021: ABC News airs an investigation revealing the siblings were "cast aside" by the system. Riverside County launches an independent probe led by a former federal judge.
July 2022: Six siblings file civil lawsuits against Riverside County and the private agency ChildNet, alleging they were placed in a "known abusive foster home."
September–October 2024: The foster family (the Olguins) plead guilty to abuse charges. Marcelino Olguin is sentenced to seven years in prison; his wife and daughter receive probation.
February 3, 2026: A new ABC special, "The Turpins: A New House of Horror," features siblings James, Jolinda, and Julissa speaking out about their trauma.
February 4, 2026: Attorneys announce a substantial confidential settlement has been reached, ending the civil litigation against the county and ChildNet.
The Source: This report is based on a joint press release issued by Oakwood Legal Group and Booth Law, the legal firms representing the Turpin family in their civil suits, as well as previous FOX 11 reports.