30 California youth probation officers charged with encouraging 'gladiator fights'
by Darryl Coote · UPIMarch 4 (UPI) -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced charges against 30 probation officers at a juvenile detention for encouraging dozens of fights between youth detainees.
Twenty-two of the 30 defendants were Arraigned at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday when Bonta announced the unsealing of a grand jury indictment against them.
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According to the office, the 30 detention services officers worked at the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, Calif., a facility with a 603-person capacity southeast of Los Angeles.
The 70-count indictment accuses them of encouraging 69 fights between detainees under their charge between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2023.
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"Officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of those under their care," Bonta said in a statement. "Instead, the officers charged today did just the opposite -- overseeing 'gladiator fights' when they should have intervened."
The charges follow an investigation launched into the facility after a CCTV footage of one of the fights was leaked in January showing youth detainees violently beating one another while the probation officers watched. After one of the fights, a probation officer is seen giving one of the involved children a high five.
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The charges include child abuse/endangerment, conspiracy to commit a crime and battery affecting 143 victims between the ages of 12 and 18.
The court document states that there were 69 fights over a six-month period, resulting in the youth being physically harmed.
"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," Bonta said.
"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."