Los Angeles County Faces​ $2.67M Settlement Over Juvenile Hall Fight

‌ ⁤ Updated June 03,⁢ 2025
​ ⁤ ⁢

Los Angeles⁤ County is on the verge of approving a $2.67 million settlement to resolve‍ a case ‌involving ‍a teenager‍ who‍ was allegedly encouraged to be attacked inside a juvenile hall. The Board⁤ of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the settlement for rivas Barillas and his mother,‍ Heidi barillas Lemus, ‌following a December​ 2023 incident ⁣at the​ Downey juvenile hall.

The case has brought renewed scrutiny ⁣to the‍ county’s juvenile facilities ‌and the conduct of some probation officers. The incident involved a 17-year-old who was reportedly targeted shortly after arriving‌ at⁢ the facility.

Video footage shows at least‍ six youths hitting and kicking ‌rivas Barillas. The incident ​has prompted serious questions about ⁢the safety and supervision of juveniles in county custody ⁤and the⁤ need for ‌juvenile ‌hall reform.

According to a public summary ⁣of the ​”corrective ‌action plan” that the Probation⁣ Department must implement, officials failed to promptly review CCTV ‌footage of the fight.There was‍ also ​a delay in transporting the injured teen ​to a hospital and notifying his family.

The plan states that CCTV monitors are now “staffed routinely,” ‌and officials are‌ working to conduct random audits of the recordings. A spokesperson for​ the Probation Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Immediately after Rivas Barillas ‌arrived at the Downey ⁤juvenile hall, probation officer Brooks allegedly ​inquired about his gang affiliation, according to the claim filed with the county. ‍brooks allegedly‍ said she ⁣had‍ heard that​ Rivas​ Barillas, who ⁤is ‍Latino,⁢ was ​from the “Canoga” gang and that she “hoped he could fight” before directing the other juveniles,⁣ all of whom were Black, to attack him in the​ day room, the claim ‍stated.

As the video surfaced, additional accounts have emerged from Los padrinos‍ Juvenile Hall, detailing ⁣instances of teens being coerced into fights by probation officers. One⁤ teen said officers at Los Padrinos rewarded ‍him with fast ‍food if he beat up ​kids who misbehaved. The teenager, ​who had previously been housed in the⁢ same unit as Rivas Barillas, said‌ staffers‍ would also organize⁢ fights when someone arrived ⁤who was thought to‌ be affiliated with⁢ a gang that didn’t get along​ with ‌the youths inside.

Another teenager, identified in court filings as John (Lohjk) Doe, alleged in ​a lawsuit filed in February that soon after arriving at Los Padrinos in 2024,​ he was escorted ⁣by an officer to⁢ the ‍day room. The officer, identified only by the surname Santos, told a ⁣youth inside the day room ‍that “you⁢ have eleven‌ (11) seconds” and watched as the youth attacked ‍Doe, according to the lawsuit.

On another occasion, ⁤the same officer threatened to pepper-spray Doe if he didn’t fight another youth​ for 20 seconds. The teens who fought were rewarded with extra television and more time out of⁣ their cells,the suit alleged.

After the teen told a female officer about the two coordinated brawls, he was transferred to solitary confinement, the suit alleged.

what’s next

The Board of Supervisors’ ⁤vote on the $2.67 million‌ settlement could signal a turning point for Los Angeles ⁢County probation and juvenile hall practices. The “corrective action plan” and the ​settlement terms may bring increased oversight ​and ⁢accountability​ to prevent future incidents of ⁣violence⁢ and abuse within the county’s juvenile facilities.