2 more probation officers placed on leave over violence at Los Padrinos

DOWNEY — Two more Los Angeles County probation officers were placed on leave following an investigation that detected additional cases of "youth-on-youth violence" at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, the Probation Department announced Monday.

The 14 Los Padrinos officers -- two more than previously announced -- are among a total of 66 probation officers who have been placed on leave since the beginning of the year for various issues relating to conduct on and off duty.

Eight other officers were placed on leave in January following an incident that was caught on security video from the facility showing them standing by while multiple detainees punched and kicked another youth.

"We are releasing this information in the spirit of greater transparency and to assure our stakeholders -- especially the families of youths in our juvenile facilities -- that we will not tolerate anything that impedes our mission to provide a safe, nurturing and structured environment for those entrusted to our care," Los Angeles County Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement.

Those placed on leave were assigned to both the department's adult and juvenile operations, Viera Rosa said.

According to the department, of the 66 officers placed on leave, 39 were for issues of general misconduct, which includes suspected use of excessive force, child endangerment or abuse, possession of contraband, and negligent supervision. In addition, 18 were put on leave for suspected sexual misconduct and nine for arrests unrelated to employment.

No details about the latest violence at Los Padrinos were released.

Viera Rosa said all the officers placed on leave since the first of the year represent a small minority of the department's nearly 2,800 sworn personnel.

"It is out of respect for the majority of our officers, who perform their duties each day with integrity, that we moved quickly on these cases," he said. "It's not right that the majority should be tarnished by the misconduct of a few. We will not tolerate anything that is an affront to our mission and a disgrace to the important work we do."

The earlier instance that led to the suspension of eight probation officers occurred on Dec. 22, 2023. Surveillance video obtained by the Los Angles Times showed multiple officers standing by in a dining room at the hall while a series of detainees individually approached a 17-year-old boy and began punching and kicking him in what appeared to be coordinated attacks.

At least five probation officers can be seen in the room at the time. One occasionally steps in to break up the fights, but she appears to be smiling or laughing as she does so. By the end of the six-minute video, the teen victim walks to one of the tables and sits down with other youth.

The video was shown in a Sylmar courtroom in April, when the 17-year- old victim's attorney asked that her client be released due to unsafe conditions at Los Padrinos, according to The Times.

The attorney, Sherrie Albin, said the teen suffered a broken nose in the attack, but was not taken for medical treatment by probation officers for several days after the beatings.

During the court hearing, Albin said one of the probation officers seen in the video "instigated" the attacks, saying the officer told other youths the 17-year-old was a racist based on his gang affiliation and where he lived, the Times reported. According to the paper, all of the assailants were Black, and the 17-year-old is Latino.

The judge ultimately declined to release the teen, noting he has been transferred out of the unit at Los Padrinos where the attacks occurred, the Times reported.

Viera Rosa said the incidents have been referred to an outside law enforcement agency for investigation.

In February, the California Board of State and Community Corrections declared Los Padrinos and the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar unsuitable to house youths. The state board cited violations ranging from poor staffing levels to inadequate training, education programs, safety plans and disciplinary procedures.

The board reversed that finding in April, determining that sufficient improvements had been made to address the various violations. Had the board not changed its mind, the county would have been forced to close the facilities and relocate the youth detainees.