County Orders Probe of Teenagers’ Beating

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the beating of two teenagers mistakenly believed by their attackers to be members of a Santa Clarita white supremacist gang.

The suspects are three juveniles who lived at the Pioneer Boys Home in Saugus and a 24-year-old house parent at the facility, officials said.

At the request of Supervisor Mike Antonovich, the board on Tuesday asked the Department of Children and Family Services to document what authority county and state agencies have over the home, find out when the facility was last audited and determine why a 24-year-old was placed in charge of teenagers.

Additionally, supervisors asked the county’s Commission on Human Relations to look into the hate crimes issue and report back to the board next week.

The alleged attack occurred last month after the three juveniles told their house parent that a group of white supremacist youths were hanging out at Saugus High School, said Sheriff’s Deputy Tony Miano.

The four alleged attackers--three African Americans and one white--beat two white teens at the school.

Among the weapons used were an aluminum baseball bat and a wooden stick, authorities said.

The victims, ages 16 and 18, did not suffer life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The house parent, identified as Harvey Boulton, is in Los Angeles County Jail facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The youths, ages 14 to 17, are at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar.