Fox 11 Los Angeles Crime
The Brief
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County awarded a $2.67 million settlement to a detainee at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey over claims the minor was physically assaulted by other juvenile detainees in so-called "gladiator fights" that were organized by correctional officers.
What we know:
According to documents from the County Board of Supervisors, on December 22, 2023, Jose Rivas Barillas, who was 16-years-old at the time, was physically attacked while in custody. Documents report that several deputy probation officers orchestrated, provoked, and encouraged a physical assault on him by other juvenile detainees.
What led to the fights
The plaintiff claims that after arriving at Los Padrinos, an officer and her colleagues demanded to know his gang affiliation. He respon
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