30 LA County Detention Officers Charged for Involvement in 'Gladiator Fights' at Juvenile Hall
Thirty Los Angeles County detention officers are facing charges for their alleged involvement in organizing "gladiator fights" between youth detainees at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. California Attorney General Rob Bonta made the announcement on Monday.
According to the indictment, the officers "allowed and, in some cases, encouraged" 69 violent fights between inmates at the facility between July and December 2023. More than 140 youths, aged 12 to 18, were reportedly involved in these fights. The investigation into the incidents began after a video of one such fight surfaced in January 2024.
Twenty-two of the 30 officers were arraigned on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The remaining officers are set to appear for their arraignment on April 18. The charges they face include child endangerment, abuse, conspiracy, and battery.
“Officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have a duty to protect the safety and well-being of the youths in their care. Instead, the officers charged today did the opposite, allowing and encouraging violent 'gladiator fights' when they should have stepped in to prevent harm,” Bonta said in a statement. “This indictment and the criminal charges filed are a significant step toward holding these officers accountable.”
The director of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, who is also indicted, maintains his innocence. His attorney, Tom Yu, argued that his client was unaware of the fights. "My client didn’t set up any fights and didn’t know about them," Yu stated, questioning how the director was implicated as an accomplice.
In response to the charges, the L.A. County Probation Department, which operates Los Padrinos, stated that it fully supports the attorney general's office. The department also announced that all officers involved in the alleged misconduct are now on leave without pay. “When we discovered the misconduct, we immediately sought assistance from law enforcement, which led to the AG's investigation. We are committed to full accountability,” the department said in a statement.
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall has faced numerous issues in the past and is under a state order to close. However, Los Angeles County supervisors have taken emergency measures to keep the facility open due to a shortage of available juvenile detention centers.
