Officers at LA juvenile hall facing criminal charges
Thirty LA County Correction officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have been charged with child abuse stemming from so-called Gladiator fights that they planned at the detention center, AG Bonta announced.
LOS ANGELES – Thirty officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey are facing criminal charges of child abuse and endangerment for allegedly staging “gladiator fights,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday.
What we know:
The Department of Justice began their investigation January 2024 after they received leaked footage of a so-called gladiator fight between youths sheltered at the detention center.
The video shows a minor in the detention center being attacked by a series of other minors who attack him one by one as detention officers stand by watching, Bonta said during a press conference.
He said several officers stood by laughing and shaking hands with those involved in the video.
The fights happened at least 69 times between July 1 and December 31, 2023 and involved up to 140 youths. The kids were between the ages of 12 and 18, Bonta explained.
Alleged ‘gladiator fights’ at LA County juvie
More than two dozen probation officers were charged with child abuse following allegations of “gladiator fights” taking place at a Los Angeles County juvenile detention center.
Officers encouraged fighting
Bonta said the officers planned and encouraged the fights.
“They often wanted them to happen at the beginning of the day, in a certain time, in a certain place. A space and a time was created for the fights, and their plan was for the fights to happen and for them to stand by as they occurred and not intervene so that they could happen. The intent was to manifest the fights,” Bonta stated.
“They did have multiple gladiator-type fights between individuals with probation officers employed by LA County right there in the room watching, not intervening, not keeping the young people they were charged with taking care of safe.”
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“The officers look more like referees or audience members at a prize fight, not adults charged with the care and supervision of young people,” he added.
Charges filed
The 30 officers are facing criminal charges of child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy and battery.
The indictment also alleges aggravating factors, including the vulnerability of the victims and the officer’s position of trust or confidence, which helped enable them to commit the offense.
Twenty-two of the 30 defendants were arraigned Monday, and the eight others will be arraigned soon, Bonta said.
Officers placed on leave
What they’re saying:
The LA County Probation Department issued a statement saying it “fully supports and applauds” the AG for the indictments.
“Our department sought the assistance of law enforcement authorities when misconduct was discovered, which eventually led to the AG’s office investigation,” according to the agency. “Since then, we have fully collaborated with our partners. At the same time, we have been conducting our own internal inquiries. The current staff named in today’s indictments have all been placed on leave without pay. Accountability is a cornerstone of our mission, and we have zero tolerance for misconduct of any peace officers, especially those dealing with young people in our system.
“While these incidents are deeply troubling, we believe this marks an important step toward rebuilding trust and reinforcing our commitment to the meaningful changes we are proposing in our juvenile facilities. Our vision for them is one that prioritizes rehabilitation, support, and positive outcomes for justice-involved youth, as well as upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity for our staff. We remain dedicated to fostering an environment that is safe, restorative, and aligned with best practices.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn also released a statement which read, “The young people in Los Padrinos are not only in our custody, they are in our care,” she said. “It is unacceptable that probation officers who were entrusted with this responsibility would use their power to abuse these kids. The probation officers who were involved in this abuse were put on leave last year and I support the Chief Probation Officer in firing any officers who are found guilty. This is only further proof that the culture of our probation department needs to change dramatically.”
Troubled facility
The backstory:
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall has been plagued with operational issues since it was hastily reopened in 2023 to house detainees relocated from Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, which were both ordered closed by the state.
Since it reopened, Los Padrinos has suffered from short staffing and allegations of violence among detainees, and escape attempts.
In December 2024, the LA County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local emergency over the troubled facility after it was ordered to close by the state.
