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At least one person was taken to hospital Wednesday due to potential overdose at Los Padrinos Boys Hall in Downey.
County Probation Office officials said the agency responded to “suspected overdose” and “possible exposure” to an unidentified substance in video on the scene showing that others were loaded into ambulances and others were being evaluated at the facility.
“I am deeply concerned about today’s incident at the Los Padrinos boys’ hall,” Kathryn Berger, chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement, adding that he is trying to obtain accurate information from the probation department. “It is essential that we understand exactly what happened and be able to ensure the safety and well-being of both the young people we care about and the dedicated staff who serve them.”
The situation unfolds just two days after a nonprofit organized worker was arrested on suspicion of allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into a juvenile facility that has been plagued by operational issues since it reopened in 2023.
Alejandro Lopez, who worked for nonprofit student Nest, an educational guidance service, was arrested at the facility Monday when authorities said he was engaged in some suspicious activities.
He owned more than 170 white pills, a probation department official said.
“My understanding is that our care, probation staff and young medical staff may have been exposed to toxic drugs that could not have made it into the facility and become ill,” said Janice Hahn, a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors.
The Downey Fire and Police Department were also on the scene supporting department officials while the facility was blocked during the investigation.
It was announced in May that Los Padrinos had plans to close the facility after LA County submitted its closure plan.
The facility has been repeatedly fired since it reopened in 2023, and has continued to operate under inappropriate declarations as it was deemed inappropriate by state regulators.
A judge in May approved a plan for the probation department that would reduce the number of youths held in the facility. This is plagued by problems caused by most understaffing and with concerns that detainees are not being transported to classes or medical appointments.
Additionally, county probation officers were hit with criminal charges in March arising from allegations that the so-called “Gladiator Battle” was being staged among young detainees.
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