FBI Probes Abuse Allegations in LA County Jails

The FBI probe into the Los Angeles County jails has expanded to include a man's allegations that he was beaten and pepper-sprayed by deputies while handcuffed during a visit to see his incarcerated brother, it was reported today.

The accusations of Gabriel Carrillo, who suffered serious bruises and cuts on Feb. 26, have also sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Carrillo contends he was the victim of an unprovoked attack, but deputies said they used force only after he assaulted them, according to the newspaper. The violence, they said, occurred after they detained him for possessing a cellphone at the jail.

Based on the deputies' statements, the district attorney's office charged Carrillo with battery, resisting the deputies, trying to escape arrest and bringing a cellphone into the jail. But prosecutors last week abruptly dropped the case, saying they were awaiting more Sheriff's Department reports, according to The Times. They said they might refile the charges later.

Carrillo's case is one of several allegations of deputy brutality and other misconduct that federal authorities are investigating. Earlier this year, an undercover FBI sting ensnared a deputy who allegedly sneaked a cellphone to an inmate who was a federal informant.

The Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to establish a citizens commission to review the use of force in county jails and formally asked Sheriff Lee Baca to make changes in how the jails are run.

Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas recommended forming a five-person commission, with each of the five supervisors nominating a candidate by Nov. 1, which the board approved on a 5-0 vote.