Latest news with #ProbationDepartment
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man on probation arrested on suspicion of marijuana, cocaine possession for sale
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Bakersfield man was arrested on Tuesday after probation officers allegedly found drugs and cash in his home, according to the Kern County Probation Department. On June 10, officers with the Probation Department conducted a home call in the 2500 block of White Lane, according to officials. During a search of the home, officers allegedly found about 29 grams of suspected cocaine, 378 grams of suspected marijuana and a large amount of United States currency in various denominations. Boron man arrested after traffic stop leads to ghost gun, narcotics Adrian Coronel, 31, who was on active post-release community supervision, was arrested for several charges related to possession of drugs and/or drug sales. Coronel was also arrested on suspicion of possessing other people's identification and violating probation, according to the department. Coronel also had two prior convictions for drug-related charges, making him qualify under Proposition 36, officials said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sacramento County to use drones to track homeless people on probation
SACRAMENTO — Sacramento County is eyeing a new approach to track and contact people living homeless: drones. The county's probation department said it needs the drones to contact homeless people who are on probation, specifically in hard-to-reach spots like along the American Parkway. "It's a scary thought to think our society is at the point that we are tracking homeless people with drones," said Alan Howard, who uses the American River Parkway. The drones won't just be eyes in the sky. They will be able to communicate with homeless people. The department said this will prevent officers from exposing themselves to potential risk, such as loose animals, terrain issues and other hazards until they are sure it is safe to move in. "Obviously, there are transportation barriers for them to reach us, so we want to remove those barriers," said interim Chief Probation Officer Julie Wherry. Wherry got the green light from the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to purchase three commercial drones. The goal is to avoid issuing warrants when a homeless person does not show up for their probation check-ins. "Most importantly, support on-site community check-ins with clients to reduce warrants and provide support resources such as clothing, water, snacks and hygiene products," said Wherry. Probation said those services include personal hygiene kits, food, mental health referrals, drug and substance counseling referrals, access to temporary housing resources and information, as well as services provided by system partners. The Sacramento Homeless Union harshly opposes the plan to use drones. Crystal Sanchez, the union's president, gave CBS13 a statement that reads: "The use of drones by the county probation department is just the latest escalation in a disturbing trend - treating people in crisis as if they are criminals to be surveilled, rather than neighbors in need of support and dignity..."Instead of investing in real housing solutions, the county is doubling down on tactics that traumatize, intimidate and further destabilize those who are already vulnerable." "A lot of homeless live right on the other side of this hill here," said Nicholas Free, who works at University Automotive near Cal Expo. "Multiple fires, encampments, but over the years, it has been getting a lot better." In the past, CBS13 has covered homeless encampment fires feet away from Free's work, and it is why he thinks having more surveillance on the American River Parkway is a positive thing. "I think it could be an inside help where they can have eyes up ahead and plan for some of these situations," said Free. The probation department said it will follow all federal, state and local rules for flying the drones. It is still working to secure the grants to purchase them.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
L.A. County to pay $2.7 million to teen assaulted in 'gladiator fight'
Los Angeles County is poised to pay nearly $2.7 million to a teenager whose violent beating at a juvenile hall launched a sprawling criminal investigation into so-called 'gladiator fights' inside the troubled facility. Video of the December 2023 beating, captured on CCTV, showed Jose Rivas Barillas, then 16, being pummeled by six juveniles at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall as probation officers stood idly by. Each youth attacked Rivas Barillas for a few seconds before returning to breakfast. Two officers, later identified as longtime probation officials Taneha Brooks and Shawn Smyles, laughed and shook hands, encouraging the brawl. "What made this unique is the video,' said Rivas Barillas' attorney, Jamal Tooson, who said his client suffered a broken nose and traumatic brain injury. 'The entire world got to witness the brutality that's taking place with our children at the hands of the Los Angeles County Probation Department.' The video, first reported by The Times, prompted a criminal investigation by the state attorney general's office, which later charged 30 probation officers — including Brooks and Smyles — with allowing and encouraging fights among teens inside county juvenile halls. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta referred to the coordinated brawls as 'gladiator fights' and said his office's CCTV review had turned up 69 such fights during the chaotic first six months after the hall opened in July 2023. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to approve the $2.67-million settlement to Rivas Barillas and his mother, Heidi Barillas Lemus. According to a public summary of the 'corrective action plan' that the Probation Department must produce before a large settlement, officials failed to review CCTV video of the fight and waited too long to transport the teen to a hospital and notify his family. CCTV monitors are now 'staffed routinely,' and officials are working on conducting random audits of the recordings, according to the plan. A spokesperson for the Probation Department did not respond to a request for comment. Immediately after Rivas Barillas arrived at the Downey juvenile hall, Brooks demanded to know his gang affiliation, according to the claim filed with the county. Brooks said she had heard that Rivas Barillas, who is Latino, was from the "Canoga" gang and that she "hoped he could fight' before directing the other juveniles, all of whom were Black, to attack him in the day room, the claim stated. After the video made headlines, accounts of teens forced by probation officers to fight have trickled out of Los Padrinos. A teen told The Times in March that officers at Los Padrinos rewarded him with a fast-food 'bounty' — In-N-Out, Jack in the Box, McDonald's — if he beat up kids who misbehaved. The teenager, who had previously been housed in the same unit as Rivas Barillas, said staffers would also organize fights when someone arrived who was thought to be affiliated with a gang that didn't get along with the youths inside. 'We get a new kid, he's from the hood. We have other hoods in here. We're going to get all the fights out of the way,' he said at the time. 'They were just setting it up to control the situation.' Another teenager, identified in court filings as John (Lohjk) Doe, alleged in a lawsuit filed in February that soon after arriving at Los Padrinos in 2024, he was escorted by an officer to the day room. The officer, identified only by the surname Santos, told a youth inside the day room that 'you have eleven (11) seconds' and watched as the youth attacked Doe, according to the lawsuit. On another occasion, the same officer threatened to pepper-spray Doe if he didn't fight another youth for 20 seconds. The teens who fought were rewarded with extra television and more time out of their cells, the suit alleged. After the teen told a female officer about the two coordinated brawls, he was transferred to solitary confinement, the suit alleged. Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
03-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. County to pay $2.7 million to teen assaulted in ‘gladiator fight'
Los Angeles County is poised to pay nearly $2.7 million to a teenager whose violent beating at a juvenile hall launched a sprawling criminal investigation into so-called 'gladiator fights' inside the troubled facility. Video of the December 2023 beating, captured on CCTV, showed Jose Rivas Barillas, then 16, being pummeled by six juveniles at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall as probation officers stood idly by. Each youth attacked Rivas Barillas for a few seconds before returning to breakfast. Two officers, later identified as longtime probation officials Taneha Brooks and Shawn Smyles, laughed and shook hands, encouraging the brawl. 'What made this unique is the video,' said Rivas Barillas' attorney, Jamal Tooson, who said his client suffered a broken nose and traumatic brain injury. 'The entire world got to witness the brutality that's taking place with our children at the hands of the Los Angeles County Probation Department.' The video, first reported by The Times, prompted a criminal investigation by the state attorney general's office, which later charged 30 probation officers — including Brooks and Smyles — with allowing and encouraging fights among teens inside county juvenile halls. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta referred to the coordinated brawls as 'gladiator fights' and said his office's CCTV review had turned up 69 such fights during the chaotic first six months after the hall opened in July 2023. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to approve the $2.67-million settlement to Rivas Barillas and his mother, Heidi Barillas Lemus. According to a public summary of the 'corrective action plan' that the Probation Department must produce before a large settlement, officials failed to review CCTV video of the fight and waited too long to transport the teen to a hospital and notify his family. CCTV monitors are now 'staffed routinely,' and officials are working on conducting random audits of the recordings, according to the plan. A spokesperson for the Probation Department did not respond to a request for comment. Immediately after Rivas Barillas arrived at the Downey juvenile hall, Brooks demanded to know his gang affiliation, according to the claim filed with the county. Brooks said she had heard that Rivas Barillas, who is Latino, was from the 'Canoga' gang and that she 'hoped he could fight' before directing the other juveniles, all of whom were Black, to attack him in the day room, the claim stated. After the video made headlines, accounts of teens forced by probation officers to fight have trickled out of Los Padrinos. A teen told The Times in March that officers at Los Padrinos rewarded him with a fast-food 'bounty' — In-N-Out, Jack in the Box, McDonald's — if he beat up kids who misbehaved. The teenager, who had previously been housed in the same unit as Rivas Barillas, said staffers would also organize fights when someone arrived who was thought to be affiliated with a gang that didn't get along with the youths inside. 'We get a new kid, he's from the hood. We have other hoods in here. We're going to get all the fights out of the way,' he said at the time. 'They were just setting it up to control the situation.' Another teenager, identified in court filings as John (Lohjk) Doe, alleged in a lawsuit filed in February that soon after arriving at Los Padrinos in 2024, he was escorted by an officer to the day room. The officer, identified only by the surname Santos, told a youth inside the day room that 'you have eleven (11) seconds' and watched as the youth attacked Doe, according to the lawsuit. On another occasion, the same officer threatened to pepper-spray Doe if he didn't fight another youth for 20 seconds. The teens who fought were rewarded with extra television and more time out of their cells, the suit alleged. After the teen told a female officer about the two coordinated brawls, he was transferred to solitary confinement, the suit alleged. Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Brickbat: They Won't Miss It
Authorities in Illinois have charged former Rock Island County Court Services administrative assistant Leisa Streeter with theft, theft of government property, forgery, money laundering, and three counts of official misconduct. After she retired in June 2024, the county's Probation and Treasurer's Departments noticed financial irregularities in her department. Authorities claim she opened a fraudulent bank account in 2003 under "Rock Island County VIP" to siphon funds, which she spent on food, entertainment, travel, and loan payments, averaging about $43,000 annually. She reportedly stole about $900,000 over 21 years. The post Brickbat: They Won't Miss It appeared first on
