Front Page  »  

Child abuse charges filed against three police officers

September 20, 2015

Boot_Camp_(2001)_logoThe San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed child abuse charges against three officers who allegedly mistreated teens at a boot camp held at Camp San Luis Obispo in May.

Prosecutors filed multiple counts of battery, cruelty to a child by inflicting injury and corporal injury to a child against Edgar Yovany Gomez, 35, and Carlos Manuel Gomez-Marquez, 32, both of South Gate Police Department. Marissa Elizabeth Larios, 36, of Huntington Park Police Department was charged with one count of battery and two counts of cruelty to a child by inflicting injury, according to the complaint.

In May, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s detectives arrested the officers who are accused of physically abusing a total of 10 teens at the boot camp.

An attorney representing most of the victims has stated the abuse included officers punching children in the head, stepping on their hands and backs during push-ups and beating them in a dark room.

“According to the teenagers, they were given towels to clean the blood off themselves prior to exiting the room after the beatings,” Southern California attorney Gregory Owen said a statement released in June. “One child suffered broken fingers after an officer allegedly stood on the child’s hands.”

The Leadership Empowerment and Discipline Boot Camp took place May 17-24. It is an event conducted by the Huntington Park and South Gate police departments.

The boot camp began with one of the teens being placed in handcuffs for the entire 4.5 hour bus ride to Camp San Luis Obispo, Owen said at a press conference. Owen also alleges the children were threatened that they would be hurt if they told anyone what was done to them at the camp.

The three defendants are scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 21 at the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse.


Loading...
Subjects:                         
Related:


9 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Talk about “beyond scared straight”. Those beatings may be the best thing that ever happened to those kids.


The unfortunate thing is the parents who lacked the care to discipline these kids their entire lives, letting them become a problem to society, are about to get paid. That’s the true horro of this situation.


0

These kids liked to their parents.


They lied to the police.


They lied to themselves.


Multiple times.


That’s the only way you end up at this boot camp, because you’re a lying good for nothing and the system is willing to give you one last chance.


I’ll believe what these kids say when the evidence proves it. Not before like the commenters above. Their words alone have no credibility. I want to see the evidence.


0

“And we wonder why some people go out and shoot police”


Stupid comment. Dumb comment. Not smart.


0

It sounds terrible

But why do I get a feeling a few of theses kids ask for it and need it


0

Standing ovation for Dan Dow!


This type of prosecution would have never happened under the old regime.


0

Yes, but would it be happening now if it were local cops? That’s the question for which we don’t have an answer.


0

Lets just hope it is not plea bargained down just to make Mr. Dow’s record look good.


0

Thank God the only local connection is the real estate.

These poor kids came into this situation already damaged by adults, and then these creeps in uniform! attack them?

These monsters should get a significant portion of their remaining lives in prison, preferably one of the hot ones in the Valley.


0

What sick sick people to do this under the cover of being police officers. I don’t see that any of these charges are felonies, at the least they should NEVER be able to be officers again if this is found to be true.


Did this make you feel like real men and women, for being able to abuse children? I bet your parents are so proud of you for being able to hurt children by standing on their hands and breaking their fingers.


And we wonder why some people go out and shoot police> This sure does not help kids respect the badge after an incident like this.


Who did the psychological eval on these officers? I think they have some problems other than just with these charges.


0