Four local law enforcement officers were arrested this week in connection with an investigation into claims by several children that they were physically and verbally abused during a boot camp sponsored by Huntington Park and South Gate police departments at a location in San Luis Obispo County, authorities announced Wednesday.
The one-week camp was held from May 17 to 24 at Camp San Luis Obispo, a California Army National Guard Military Base in San Luis Obispo, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, which investigated the allegations.
Seven children initially came forward with accounts of abuse, a lawyer for the children’s families said in June, when the allegations were first made public.
The campers were slapped, punched, beaten and had their hands and backs stepped on while they did push-ups, Santa Clarita-based attorney Gregory Owen stated at the time.
The children were taking part in an intervention program for at-risk youth called Leadership Empowerment and Discipline, or LEAD, Owen said.
“These officers would pull these kids into ‘the dark room.’… And in the dark room, they would take these children … by the neck, push them up against the wall,” Owen said at a news conference in June. “Then they would strike them. They would beat them in the side, in the stomach, in the ribs, and in the face.”
The children were also allegedly threatened that they would be harmed if they told anyone about the abuse.
Investigators interviewed 37 participants at the camp and were able to identify 13 male and female victims ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old who claimed they were assaulted by the drill instructors, Wednesday’s news release stated.
Search and arrest warrants were issued on Tuesday and Wednesday for Detective Marissa Larios and Officer Patrick Nijland of the Huntington Park Police Department, and for Officer Carlos Gomez-Marquez and Officer Edgar Gomez of the South Gate Police Department.
Gomez and Gomez-Marquez were booked on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, making criminal threats, criminal conspiracy, criminal battery and abuse under color of authority.
Larios was arrested on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, criminal conspiracy, criminal battery and abuse under color of authority. Nijland was arrested on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, criminal battery and abuse under color of authority.
All four suspect were released after posting bail, which was set at $20,000.
All charges will be filed with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, the release stated.
