Vanguard News Desk Editor
LOS ANGELES, CA – An unsealed grand jury indictment confirmed the announcement by California Attorney General Rob Bonta Monday that 30 detention services officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey have been indicted for conspiracy, child endangerment and abuse, and battery—22 were arraigned Monday.
The officers “allowed and, in some instances, encouraged 69 fights to occur between youths at Los Padrinos during the period from July 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023,” according to Bonta’s statement.
Bonta said the indictment was based on a California Dept. of Justice investigation after video footage of one of the so-called “gladiator fights” became public in January 2024.
“Officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of those under their care. Instead, the officers charged today did just the opposite – overseeing ‘gladiator fights’ when they should have intervened,” said AG Bonta.
“The indictment – and the filing of criminal charges – is an important step toward holding these officers accountable and addressing shortfalls at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Let today’s charges be a warning for all those who abuse their power: the California Department of Justice is watching, and we will hold you accountable,” Bonta added.
The DOJ said in a statement the charges involved 142 youth between the ages of 12 and 18, noting the indictment also alleges “including the vulnerability of the victims and the officer’s position of trust or confidence, which helped enable them to commit the offense.”
The DOJ added there were 69 incidents over a six-month period “where probation officers facilitated and permitted youths in their custody to fight each other. These so-called ‘gladiator fights’ resulted in physical harm to youth involved and, if the charges are proven, were a dereliction of the officers’ duty to protect those in their care.”
In November 2024, according to DOJ, “Bonta announced additional monitoring and strengthened protections as part of an amended court judgment to address illegal and unsafe conditions in Los Angeles County juvenile halls, including Los Padrinos.”
“The Los Angeles County Probation Department fully supports and applauds the Attorney General and his office for today’s indictments. Our department sought the assistance of law enforcement authorities when misconduct was discovered, which eventually led to the AG’s office investigation. Since then, we have fully collaborated with our partners,” said the LA County Probation Dept. in a statement Monday.
Probation added, “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.”
