Thirty officers at a juvenile detention facility in Los Angeles County, California, have been accused of their involvement in organizing and enabling “gladiator fights” among the young people in their care, as stated by the state’s attorney general on Monday.

According to a grand jury indictment, the officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall permitted and sometimes encouraged about 70 fights between July 2023 and December 2023. Over 140 minors, aged 12 to 18, were reportedly involved in these fights.

Rob Bonta, the attorney general, stated that the fights were premeditated and deliberately timed. The officers face charges of child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy, and battery. Twenty-two of the officers were due to be arraigned on Monday at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The investigation commenced after the Los Angeles Times obtained and published footage of a 17-year-old being attacked by at least six other young people while officers stood by watching, with some even laughing and shaking hands with the assailants.

The video was made public during a court hearing when the public defender argued for the early release of the 17-year-old due to safety concerns at Los Padrinos. The indictment specifically accuses two probation officers of alerting staff to upcoming fights and instructing them not to report the incidents. It also claims that one officer told the involved youths to refuse medical treatment when they sought it from nurses.

The LA County Probation Department has expressed support for the attorney general’s actions and stated that all implicated officers are currently on leave without pay. They affirmed their commitment to accountability and zero-tolerance policy towards such misconduct.

Jamal Tooson, representing the 17-year-old and his family, characterized the indictment as merely the beginning of addressing the deeper problems within the probation department. He highlighted a culture of lack of accountability, violence, and permissiveness among staff. Tooson also represents other families whose children have suffered harm at Los Padrinos, including one child left with a traumatic brain injury.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/california-juvenile-detention-gladiator-fights-charges