30 LA County corrections officers charged with enabling "gladiator fights" at juvenile facility
California Attorney General Rob Bonta charged 30 corrections officers in Los Angeles County for allegedly enabling "gladiator fights" at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
"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," Bonta said.
The 30 corrections officers face charges including child abuse, conspiracy, and battery related to the so-called "gladiator fights." According to Bonta's Office, the charged officers allowed and sometimes encouraged 69 fights at Los Padrinos between July 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. State prosecutors said 143 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 were beaten during those six months.
"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."
Most of the probation officers charged in the case were arraigned on Monday. The remaining eight will be arraigned on April 18.
The director of Los Padrinos is among the charged officials. Defense attorney Tom Yu said his client pleaded not guilty.
"They didn't know about these fights," Yu said. "I mean, how were they supposed to stop something they didn't know about?"
The officers have been placed on leave without pay, according to the LA County Probation Department.
"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," department officials wrote in a statement.
Embroiled in controversy for years, a state inspector deemed Los Padrinos "unsuitable" in December 2024 after staff could not stem the flow of drugs, failed to bring the juvenile prisoners to medical appointments and did not prevent retaliation against inmates who filed grievances. At the time, Bonta said LA County "utterly failed" to provide safety to the juvenile hall prisoners.
California closed the facility on Dec. 12 due to systemic failures. Los Padrinos has continued to operate despite the closure order because LA County does not have a viable alternative location nearby.
"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," LA County Probation wrote in a statement.
