FBI Joins El Cajon Jail Investigation : Agency Will Probe Allegations That Deputies Beat Prisoners

The U.S. attorney’s office and the FBI are investigating whether the civil rights of inmates at the El Cajon jail are being violated by a group of sheriff’s deputies who allegedly have been involved in a series of inmate assaults, including the beating last month of Orned (Chicken) Gabriel.

“We are aware of the allegations and we have contacted some of the people ourselves to enlist their cooperation,” U.S. Atty. Peter Nunez said Thursday.

Declining to discuss specifics of the investigation, Nunez said “we did call the bureau” and that the FBI will be assisting in the investigation of purported inmate beatings.

The federal investigation follows newspaper reports that a group of deputies known among the inmates as the “Rambo Squad” has been responsible for a series of beatings of inmates inside the East County Detention Facility.

Gabriel and three other inmates have told The Times that inmates have repeatedly been harassed by half a dozen deputies who have slammed them against the jail walls and floor, and punched and kicked them repeatedly.

The Wrecking Crew

A fifth inmate, who was released from the jail on Thursday, said he witnessed deputies assaulting inmates three times a week during his seven months in the jail.

“We called them the sheriff’s Rambo Squad, the Goon Squad, the Wrecking Crew--various names the inmates use,” said Michael Acosta.

“There are quite a few inmates in there who are very scared, very frightened. The deputies would get you in hammerlocks and throw you against the wall. I could hear people moaning and groaning, and people just said, ‘Hey, that’s El Cajon.’ ”

Gabriel, serving a one-year sentence for not paying child support, said he was beaten March 29 by seven deputies who handcuffed him behind his back, then stretched him face down on the floor. He said the assault occurred after he attempted to mail a legal affidavit to the American Civil Liberties Union complaining about substandard conditions at the jail, including jail beatings. The letter was kept by the jail for more than two weeks.

Betty Wheeler, local legal director for the ACLU, said she discussed the situation Wednesday with Nunez, who at that time expressed an interest in investigating all alleged assaults at the East County Detention Facility.

“I think he is interested in allegations that that has been going on before and that there is a certain shift of deputies responsible for it,” Wheeler said.

Jim Bolenbach, an FBI spokesman, declined to discuss details of the federal investigation.

“I can’t comment specifically on this one because there are so many things that can happen under a civil rights investigation,” he said.

“We’ve done some in which somebody didn’t get their mail out on time and some on people who were killed because they did this or that. So I can’t begin to comment on the scope of such an investigation.”

No Answer From Duffy

Under federal law, a U.S. attorney may initiate a civil rights investigation before receiving a formal complaint. Once his investigation is completed, the results are forwarded to Washington.

At that point, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division reviews the reports and issues a ruling on whether further action is merited in the form of criminal charges or a civil lawsuit.

Sheriff John Duffy, who has not been available for comment about the alleged beatings since the first report in The Times last week, did not return phone calls to his office Thursday.

His spokesman, Sgt. Bob Takeshta, said the sheriff’s office would cooperate with the federal probe.

He added that the sheriff’s own Internal Affairs unit is continuing its separate investigation into the case, and that those findings will be sent to the county district attorney’s office for review.

The sheriff’s office at first said that Gabriel’s allegations are not valid.

An independent physician examined the inmate and determined that his head, shoulder, arm and leg injuries were consistent with assault. The sheriff’s office began its Internal Affairs investigation after Gabriel filed a formal complaint.

Sgt. Takeshta said he believes the deputies allegedly involved in the Gabriel assault are still working inside the jail.

“I can only go on the assumption they are still in those assignments,” he said.

Gabriel has since been moved to the Central Detention Facility downtown. “I slept a lot better last night, knowing he wasn’t out at El Cajon anymore,” said his mother, Billie Nelson.