“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,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said.
NEED TO KNOW
- Los Angeles County agreed to pay $2.67 million to 16-year-old Jose Rivas Barillas, who was brutally beaten in a “gladiator fight” at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall
- 30 probation officers were indicted for overseeing or enabling 69 such fights involving 143 youth detainees
- Following public outrage and legal action, officials announced corrective measures to improve safety and oversight at juvenile facilities
Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $2.67 million to a teenager who was beaten by several other juveniles in a “gladiator fight” initiated by probation officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 2023 — just one of many such brawls allegedly orchestrated by officers.
The payout was approved on June 3, in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Jose Rivas Barillas, who was 16 when the fight occurred, according to a settlement of litigation document obtained by PEOPLE.
Surveillance video showed that on Dec. 22, 2023, several deputy probation officers orchestrated, provoked and encouraged an assault on Barillas by several other juveniles who were incarcerated at Los Padrinos, according to the settlement document…