Probe of Jail Beatings Targets Inmate’s Death

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the possibility that beatings of accused child molesters allegedly encouraged by deputies working in the Men’s Central Jail resulted in at least one homicide, sources and officials said Thursday.

Sheriff’s officials confirmed that the department is reviewing the circumstances of the beating death of Miguel Sanchez, 20, who was being held on sexual molestation charges in the downtown jail in July.

According to one source--who asked not to be named--the man allegedly was killed by three inmates while in a large holding cell July 12. So far, no one has been arrested in connection with the attack. Sheriff’s investigators are reviewing the case to determine if deputies encouraged the beating or failed to stop it.

“We’re not sure if it’s tied into this,” said sheriff’s custody chief Barry King. “It is part of our investigation.”

Department officials disclosed Wednesday that they are conducting a criminal probe into the possibility that six or more deputies urged trusties--inmates granted special privileges--to beat molestation suspects who were housed at the Men’s Central Jail.

In addition to the slaying, investigators are looking into cases involving at least 12 other inmates, who were either beaten or injured in recent months. Injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to broken facial bones, sheriff’s officials said. A deputy and a civilian employee have been relieved of duty, officials said. More suspensions are expected.

Sheriff’s officials say they are unsure how long the alleged attacks may have been occurring. They are reviewing computer logs to determine how many accused sex offenders have been beaten or injured over the past year.

According to one source close to the investigation, deputies allegedly told trusties where the accused molesters were being held and urged them to beat them. The department has tried to keep alleged sex offenders separate from other inmates because of the danger that they may be harmed by other inmates, King said, but that has not occurred at times.

Since the criminal investigation began three weeks ago, nearly 90 men at the Men’s Central Jail who have been accused of child molestation have been moved into protective custody at Pitchess Detention Center North.

Civil rights advocates Thursday expressed concern about the allegations that deputies may have condoned or encouraged the beatings.

“I’ve seen a lot of violations of rights through the years,” said Ramona Ripston, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. “Sometimes you wonder when you see so many things, if you’ve become immune to being shocked. This just takes my breath away.”

Merrick Bobb--who is monitoring problems in the Sheriff’s Department as special counsel to the Board of Supervisors--also expressed concern.

“If the allegations are confirmed as accurate, it is very disturbing,” Bobb said. “It confirms the point that I have been trying to make for the last several years: The custody side of the sheriff’s operations lags substantially behind the patrol operations in terms of management of potential misconduct by deputies.

“This lag must be made up immediately,” Bobb said.

Launching its own investigation into the matter, the ACLU on Thursday sent two staff members into the county lockups to find accused sex offenders who were attacked by other inmates.

“We want to try to get to the bottom of this,” said attorney Paul Hoffman, who serves as lead counsel to the ACLU on matters concerning jail conditions.

Recently, the civil rights organization received a call from an accused sex offender who said he was terrified to be transferred to the Men’s Central Jail from Pitchess.

“We are trying to figure out if it relates to this,” Hoffman said.

ACLU staff members spent the day at the north county facility, interviewing more than 100 men confined to the special dorm for alleged child molesters. Many of them expressed fear about being sent to the Men’s Central Jail; others said it was common for deputies to disclose their charges to other inmates.

At least 20 people interviewed reported being beaten by other inmates, the ACLU investigators said.

“If there’s any place we should be caring about inmates, it is the county jail,” Ripston said. “Many of these people haven’t been convicted of anything.”