Attorney General Bonta Files Criminal Charges Against 30 Officers for Role in Facilitating “Gladiator Fights” Between Youths at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the unsealing of a grand jury indictment against 30 detention services officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, California on charges of child endangerment and abuse, conspiracy, and battery. The indictment alleges that the officers allowed and, in some instances, encouraged 69 fights to occur between youths at Los Padrinos during the period from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The indictment stems from an investigation launched by the California Department of Justice after video footage of one of the so-called "gladiator fights" leaked in January 2024. Twenty-two of the 30 officers were arraigned today at Los Angeles Superior Court. The remaining officers will be arraigned on April 18, 2025.

“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 Attorney General Bonta. “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. 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 officers were indicted on charges, including alleged child abuse/endangerment; conspiracy to commit a crime; and battery impacting 143 victims between the ages of 12 and 18. The indictment also alleges aggravating factors, including the vulnerability of the victims and the officer’s position of trust or confidence, which helped enable them to commit the offense. The indictment identifies 69 incidents over a six-month period where probation officers facilitated and permitted youths in their custody to fight each other. These so-called “gladiator fights” resulted in physical harm to youth involved and, if the charges are proven, were a dereliction of the officers’ duty to protect those in their care.

Separate and apart from this criminal prosecution, Attorney General Bonta has worked 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 November 2024, Attorney General Bonta separately announced additional monitoring and strengthened protections as part of an amended court judgment to address illegal and unsafe conditions in Los Angeles County juvenile halls, including Los Padrinos. This civil judgment is wholly independent of the criminal charges announced today against Los Padrinos detention officers. 

A copy of the indictment is available here.  

It is important to note that a criminal indictment contains charges that must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.