30 Officers Charged with Child Abuse Over 'Gladiator Fights' Involving Nearly 150 Kids at Juvenile Hall: AG

On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Banta unsealed a grand jury indictment against 30 of the officers who worked at the facility, charging them with child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy and battery, according to a press release from his office.

An investigation into Los Padrinos was launched in January 2024 after video from an alleged "gladiator fight" was leaked.

The video, from December 2023 and published by the Los Angeles Times in April 2024, shows eight correctional officers standing by as a group of teens attacked a 17-year-old in a "day room." That teen suffered a broken nose and "traumatic brain injury," per a civil claim cited by the Times.

The California Department of Justice ultimately determined that juveniles in the detention center were "allowed, and in some instances, encouraged" into 69 different fights between Los Padrinos' reopening on July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

The 30 officers are now facing 71 counts of child abuse/endangerment, conspiracy to commit a crime, and battery impacting 143 different victims aged 12 to 18 years old, per the LA Times.

Probation officers allegedly "facilitated and permitted" fights between the youths in their custody, which constitutes a dereliction of their duty to protect those in their care.

"Some officers are even seen laughing, and shaking hands with the young people involved," said Banta in a press conference, per CW affiliate KTLA

"The intent was to manifest the fights," he argued, adding that "the officers look more like referees or audience members at a prize fight, not adults charged with the care and supervision of young people."

The indictment also alleges aggravating factors, per the press release, including the vulnerability of the victims and the officers' positions of trust or confidence, which helped enable them to commit the crimes.

According to the Times, two officers in particular, named Taneha Brooks and Shawn Smyles, allegedly told other officers not to intervene or make any reports over the fights, per the indictment. Additionally, Smyth allegedly told the youths involved not to seek medical attention in an effort to cover up the ongoing fights.

In the case of the 17-year-old attacked in the video, Brooks and Smyles allegedly told rookie officers "not to say anything, write down anything and just watch when youth fights occurred," per the indictment.

"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," said Banta in the press release.

According to the press release, 22 of the officers were arraigned Monday at Los Angeles Superior Court on the above-mentioned charges, with the other eight set to be arraigned on April 18.

In a statement received by Fox affiliate KTTV, the LA Count Probation Department said it "fully supports and applauds" the indictments, sharing that their department "sought the assistance of law enforcement authorities when misconduct was discovered," which triggered the investigation.

"The current staff named in today's indictments have all been placed on leave without pay," the LACPD continued. "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 indictment -- and the filing of criminal charges -- is an important step toward holding these officers accountable and addressing shortfalls at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall," he continued. "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."

Beyond holding these 30 officers accountable for their alleged actions, Banta's office further said that it is working "to address systemic shortfalls in Los Angeles County juvenile halls and to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of the youths under their care."

In a statement of her own, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn reemphasized that these youths are "not only in our custody, they are in our care."

"It is unacceptable that probation officers who were entrusted with this responsibility would use their power to abuse these kids," she continued. "I support the Chief Probation Officer in firing any officers who are found guilty."

"This is only further proof that the culture of our probation department needs to change dramatically," she added, while the LACPD stated, "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."

"Our vision for them is one that prioritizes rehabilitation, support, and positive outcomes for justice-involved youth, as well as upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity for our staff," the department added. "We remain dedicated to fostering an environment that is safe, restorative, and aligned with best practices."

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall has been in the public eye since it was reopened in 2023 to house detainees from Central Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall after both of those facilities were ordered closed by the state, leaving Los Padrinos the only facility for housing minors in the county.

According to KTTV, since its reopening, Los Padrinos has dealt with multiple issues including the same short staffing and allegations of escape attempts and violence among detainees that triggered the closures of Central and Nidorf.

It has also faced an order to close, coming in December 2024, repeatedly failing inspections and being deemed "unsuitable" to house youths, per the Times, but those orders have now been delayed twice. At the same time, the LA County Board of Supervisors has proclaimed a local emergency over the facility.

The second stay, reported on January 24 by the Times, came as a result of the judge's concern that there are "no good alternatives for where the roughly 230 youths housed inside should go." The situation is still under official review.

On Monday, Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said in a statement, "The probation system and its underlying culture are broken. Accountability for those who have failed to protect our youth is long overdue -- there is no justice in a system that abuses the very youth it is entrusted to care for."