30 officers accused of facilitating ‘gladiator fights’ among minors at L.A.-area juvenile hall

California Prosecutor announced on Monday that the indictment of the accusation of 30 detentional officers who were appointed in the juvenile hall in the Los Angeles area was neglected with the abuse of children of allegedly allowing them to be allowed and sometimes to encourage wrestler battles among young people.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that the accusation of the major jury was the claim that the officers were stood as children and adolescents in the Los Paadrenos Hall of Events in the battles. The detention center is located in Downey, about 13 miles south of Los Angeles.

At least 69 battle in the second half of 2023, the Prosecutor’s Office, Rob Punta, said that there are at least 69 battle in the second half of 2023, with the distortion of 143 children and adolescence between the ages of 12 and 18. Punta’s office said that some of the battles resulted in a physical injury.

Punta said in the statement that the officers were “overseeing the” wrestlers’ battles “when they should have interfered.”

His office said that the defendants had benefited from the weakness of the victims and their confidence position.

“Today, I am concerned about a warning to all those who misuse their authority,” Punta said. “The Ministry of Justice is monitored in California, and we will be responsible.”

Punta’s office said that the battles caught the attention of the public prosecutor and government investigators after a “video clip of a quarrel in January 2024. He spoke to the media by video, describing violence.

“The footage, which was later distributed on a large scale by the media and on social media, shows a young man at the detention center being attacked by a series of other young men who come to him by one of the detention officers.” KCRA from Sacramento. “It is similar to officers like rulers or public members in a prize battle, and not adults assigned to sponsor and supervise young people.”

AFSCME Local 685, who represents a 30 officer in work negotiations, said in a statement that the organization “will do everything in our power” to support the officers.

Ford said: “Every American is innocent until it is proven guilty. Our members have the right to the same assumption of innocence and deserve to be treated with fairness and legal procedures, just as they provide those who reserve them.”

He said that juvenile detention officers are charged with preserving peace and order between children and adolescents who often accuse violent crimes.

“Despite these challenges, professional peace officers are still committed to maintaining the highest level of professionalism. We will continue to defend the safety of our members, their rights and the integrity of our members,” he said.

According to the indictment, each of the thirtieth officers is accused of abusing children’s treatment under a law in California, which aims to those who can endanger children, while condemning the charge of two to six years in the state prison.

One of the 30 additional battery of the misdemeanor battery is allegedly facing the use of force and violence against an unveiled topic, according to the document.

Three of the defendants were accused of conspiring to commit a crime, according to the indictment. He claims that two of them allowed some battles, and they knew in advance when and where they would happen, and he ordered new detention officers to see the seizures.

Prosecutors claimed that the third joined the other two in allowing some battles, which led to a fracture in the nose of an unveiled victim.

One of the three new officers told nine battles on December 22, 2023, in a unit of the juvenile facility, which was an example of how to control the detention staff of children in their care, according to the indictment.

Twenty -two of the defendants were called on Monday. The Public Prosecutor’s Office said that the rest will be called on April 18.

The boycott of the province said in a statement that all the defendants had been placed on an unpaid leave. In April 2024, the head of the Guilllermo Viera Rosa said that the officers involved in the alleged ill -treatment that was taken on the video had been removed from the service as he sought an investigation from an external agency.

The president said at the time: “We will not tolerate misconduct as shown in the video,” the president said at the time.

The following month, he said that 66 officers were placed on vacation amid internal investigation. Vieira Rosa said that he would lead to “a culture of violence, drug use, neglect and sexual misconduct in the largest agency under surveillance in the country,” according to what I said. Boycott statement at that time.

He said that the indictment announced on Monday is an example of the need for a change in the culture of monitoring officers in the province, the supervisor of the Los Angeles Janes Han province said that she would support the launch of any debtor officers.

“The youth in Los Badrinos are not only in our reservation, but they are in our care,” she said in a statement. “It is unacceptable that the observation officers who entrusted it with this responsibility use their strength to offend the use of these children.”