Guards at Los Angeles County juvenile hall charged with orchestrating ‘gladiator fights’

Thirty detention service officers were charged with child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy and battery for allowing more than 100 teenagers to participate in “gladiator fight” matchups at a Los Angeles County juvenile hall, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Monday.

Bonta alleged the officers had permitted, or encouraged, 69 fights between 143 children from July 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2023, at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall - a facility already facing criticism from state agencies for staffing issues and unsuitable conditions. The youth involved in the fights ranged from 12 to 18 years old, Bonta said.

“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 in a news release. “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.”

The Los Angeles County Probation Department, which oversees juvenile halls, wrote in a statement that all 30 officers listed in the indictment were placed on leave without pay.

“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,” the department’s statement said.

Bonta said his office investigated Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall for a year after it received footage of a fight that took place Dec. 22, 2023, inside the facility. That footage was published by the Los Angeles Times in December 2024 and showed officers standing by as at least six teenagers, in what appeared to be a methodical attack, took turns fighting one youth.

Multiple teenagers were seen entering through the doorway to attack the youth for a few seconds, and afterward calmly walked away to receive food.

“Watching the video, the officers look more like referees or audience members at a prize fight, not adults charged with the care and supervision of young people,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday.

Two officers allegedly promoted the December 2023 fight to newly hired detention officers before it happened, according to court documents reviewed by The Washington Post.

The two told new hires “not to say anything, write down anything, and just watch” when the teenagers fought that day in the facility’s Unit L, the indictment alleged. One of them allegedly told the teens after the fight to “refuse treatment” by nurses. The youth who received the beating suffered a broken nose during the fight, the indictment said.

Stacy Ford, president of the Los Angeles County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union, said the 30 officers were entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and that the union would support them “as they navigate this difficult situation.”

“Our members have been working under extremely difficult conditions - understaffed and ill-equipped facilities that house individuals accused of murder, sexual assault, terrorism, and other serious crimes,” Ford said in a statement. “Despite these challenges, our professional peace officers remain committed to maintaining the highest level of professionalism while upholding their sworn duties.”

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