CAMARILLO : Vigil Decries Alleged Police Brutality

About a dozen people held a candlelight vigil outside the Ventura County sheriff’s station in Camarillo on Friday night to protest alleged police brutality toward youths.

Ramona Ayala, a 44-year-old Camarillo woman who led the vigil, accused sheriff’s deputies of beating and abusing teen-agers whom they stopped, especially Latino youths.

“These kids are afraid,” Ayala said. She declined to give specific names and details of the alleged abuses, except for a March 18 incident, in which she claimed eight deputies beat three Latino youths for no apparent reason. Ayala refused to give the names of the youths or the deputies involved.

Sheriff’s officials denied the charges. “I can’t think of any incidents that can corroborate that,” Camarillo Sgt. Keith Lazz said before the vigil. “I can’t say that we don’t use force because we do. That’s part of police force.”

Ayala said complaints about the March 18 incident and 14 other incidents that have occurred within the last year will be filed with the Sheriff’s Department. Ayala said she hopes the complaints will lead to a departmental investigation.

Michael Ramirez, 14, of Camarillo said he has never been hurt by a deputy, but complained that “they pull you over for no reason.”

Sheriff’s officials also disputed Ayala’s accusation that deputies are anti-Latino. “We’ve got enough crooks out there that we don’t have to pick on any race,” Lazz said. “We’ve got a number of Latino officers out here in Camarillo.”