Lockdown lifted at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall following riot
DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall had its lockdown lifted on Saturday night a day after a riot at the facility shut the place down.
The Downey facility was reopened earlier this month after L.A. County was ordered to close two other juvenile facilities by the state after determining they had unsuitable conditions.
Friday's riot started after seven juveniles assaulted staff at the facility and opened an exterior door to their living area. They also allegedly broke a window of another unit and brought in six other inmates into the same area.
An 18-year-old inmate did briefly escape after climbing a wall and crossing over onto a golf course, where he was caught. The inmate has since been booked as an adult.
The remaining 12 youths have been placed in individual rooms with one-on-one supervision at Los Padrinos. Bureau chiefs will now also be at the site for every shift to supervise operations.
All staff will also have pepper spray with them now until the facility is stabilized.
Eyewitness News spoke to a mother who has a son inside the Los Padrinos facility. She went to visit her son on Saturday but there was a sign out front that said no visitors allowed.
"I'm going crazy, I want him out of here. I know he did something wrong and he has to pay but not in this condition, they're human not animals," she said.
Eventually, parents were able to connect with their kids on Saturday. But along with the situation last night, she said she is also worried about the facility's condition, which she says has no AC or outdoor activities for the youths.
However, officials said that the issue with the AC was fixed a week ago and that they are trying to reconnect kids with their families. Since the lockdown has lifted, visitations are expected to resume at the facility.
"Our goal is to ensure families see their youth, we recognize kids need to see families, get visiting back on track by tomorrow," said Dalila Alcantara, a bureau chief at the L.A County Probation Department.
No serious injuries to youth or staff were reported during the incident.
