Saltos v. Aspiranet
- James Donato
- 3:25-cv-06324
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 4
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In Saltos v. Aspiranet, Judge Donato transferred a wrongful-death and civil-rights lawsuit over two children's drowning deaths from the Northern District of California to the Eastern District, where most witnesses, evidence, and parties are located.
Families involved in foster care proceedings in Tulare County, California; non-profit foster family agencies; county governments and social workers facing civil-rights and negligence suits; litigants considering where to file suit when events occurred in a different district than the defendant's headquarters.
What happened
Maria Saltos v. Aspiranet, No. 25-cv-06324-JD, arises from the drowning deaths of Hannah Gonzalez-Saltos and Mia Gonzalez-Saltos, who were children placed in a foster home in Fresno, California, through Tulare County's foster care system. Their mother, Maria Saltos, and brother Andy Gonzalez-Saltos filed suit in the Northern District of California against several defendants — including the non-profit foster agency Aspiranet, Tulare County, a county social worker, a county sheriff, and the foster parents — alleging unlawful removal of the children from their mother, failure to provide adequate care, and related state-law claims.
Tulare County moved to transfer the case to the Eastern District of California, arguing that district is a more appropriate venue. Both sides agreed that either district could properly host the lawsuit, but disagreed on which was more convenient. The plaintiffs chose the Northern District in part because Aspiranet is headquartered in San Francisco, while the defendants pointed out that the plaintiffs, most witnesses, and all of the key events — the removal of the children, their foster placement, and the drownings — occurred in Tulare County and Fresno, which are in the Eastern District.
Judge James Donato granted the transfer to the Eastern District of California. The court found that although plaintiffs generally have some say in where to file, that preference carries less weight when the plaintiffs do not live in their chosen district — and the complaint shows that the plaintiffs reside in Tulare County. The court concluded that the overwhelming majority of witnesses, documents, and relevant events are in the Eastern District, and that district has a far greater local interest in the controversy. Aspiranet's San Francisco headquarters did not tip the balance, because Aspiranet is not named in two of the five claims. The pending motions to dismiss were terminated without prejudice to renewal after transfer.
The detailed version
- Saltos v. Aspiranet · No. 3:25-cv-06324
- James Donato
- Sept. 3, 2026
Background
This case stems from the deaths of Hannah Gonzalez-Saltos and Mia Gonzalez-Saltos, children who drowned in an outdoor pool at the Fresno, California home of foster parents Michael and Judith Yoakum while in the care of Tulare County's foster system. Their mother, Maria Saltos, and brother Andy Gonzalez-Saltos — who was also placed in the Yoakum home — filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Defendants and Claims
The defendants named are: Alberto Gonzalez Rios (the children's father, named as a nominal defendant only); Aspiranet (a non-profit corporation operating as a foster family agency working with Tulare County, headquartered in San Francisco); the County of Tulare; Tulare County social worker Cecelia Rodriguez; Tulare County sheriff Luke Hamilton; and foster parents Michael and Judith Yoakum.
The five claims alleged are:
- A claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (the federal civil-rights statute) for warrantless seizure of Maria Saltos's thirteen children without judicial authorization, parental consent, or exigent circumstances.
- A § 1983 claim for failure to provide dependent minors with adequate care, safety, supervision, and familial association.
- Monell claims (claims that a government entity's own policy or custom caused the violation) against the County of Tulare and Aspiranet.
- A claim under California Government Code § 815.6 against the County of Tulare for failure to perform a mandatory duty.
- A negligence claim.
The Transfer Motion
Defendant County of Tulare moved to transfer the case to the Eastern District of California under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a), which allows a district court to transfer a civil action to another district where it could have been brought, when doing so serves the convenience of parties and witnesses and the interest of justice.
Both sides agreed that venue was proper in both the Northern District and the Eastern District. The Northern District connection rested on Aspiranet's San Francisco headquarters. The Eastern District connection rested on the plaintiffs' residence in Tulare County, the presence of Tulare County employees who removed the children, and the location of the foster placement and the drownings — all of which occurred in the Eastern District.
Legal Standard
Under § 1404(a), the court weighs private-interest factors (ease of access to evidence, witness availability and cost, possibility of viewing relevant premises, and other practical concerns) and public-interest factors (court congestion, local interest in the controversy, and familiarity with applicable law). The plaintiffs' choice of forum is also given some weight, though it is not controlling.
Analysis and Ruling
Judge Donato granted the transfer. Key findings:
Plaintiffs' forum choice
The complaint itself shows that the plaintiffs reside in Tulare County in the Eastern District, not in the Northern District. Under Ninth Circuit precedent, a plaintiff's choice of forum receives less deference when the plaintiff does not reside there.
Witness convenience
The witnesses specifically mentioned in the complaint — a neighbor of the Yoakums and a person (possibly their granddaughter) who attempted to save the children — are residents of the Eastern District. Witness convenience is considered the most important factor in transfer analysis, and it strongly favors the Eastern District.
Documentary evidence
Relevant documents, including records related to a child endangerment referral that Tulare County received concerning the children while in Maria Saltos's care, are located in the Eastern District.
Aspiranet's Northern District connection
Although Aspiranet is headquartered in San Francisco, the court noted that Aspiranet is not named as a defendant in two of the five claims (the warrantless seizure claim and the mandatory-duty claim), making its local presence a weaker anchor for keeping the case in the Northern District.
Local interest
The Eastern District has a substantially greater local interest in a controversy involving Tulare County government employees, a Fresno foster home, and the deaths of children within Tulare County's foster care system.
Disposition
The case was ordered transferred to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Two pending motions to dismiss (Docket Nos. 17 and 45) were terminated without prejudice to renewal upon transfer — meaning the defendants may re-file those motions in the Eastern District.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.