Four Southern California police officers were arrested in connection to a child abuse case that allegedly occurred at a high school boot camp at Camp San Luis in May, the Sheriff’s Office announced.
County Sheriff’s Office received on May 28 a report from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services of alleged physical abuse by the drill instructors at the Leadership Empowerment and Discipline Boot Camp Program (LEAD) put on by the Huntington Park and South Gate Police Departments May 17-24 at Camp San Luis, which is a California National Guard base.
SLO County Sheriff’s investigators worked for two months, interviewing some 37 campers. The boot camp is for at-risk youth.
The detectives concluded that nine boys and six girls — 15 total — ages 12-17, “claimed they were assaulted by the drill instructors while at the camp,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “After an exhaustive and thorough investigation, Sheriff’s detectives served search and arrest warrants on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for two members of the Huntington Park Police Department and two members of the South Gate Police Department.”
Arrest warrants were served on Det. Marissa Larios, 36 and Ofc. Patrick Nijland, 47 of the Huntington Park Police Department, and Ofcs. Carlos Gomez-Marquez, 31 and Edgar Gomez, 35 of the South Gate Police Department. Bail was set at $20,000 each and all four posted bond and have been released.
Gomez and Gomez-Marquez were arrested on suspicion of felony willful cruelty to a child, criminal threats (a felony), criminal conspiracy (felony), criminal battery (misdemeanor) and abuse under color of authority (a misdemeanor).
Larios was arrested on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, conspiracy, battery, and abuse under color of authority. Larios was arrested on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, conspiracy, criminal battery, and abuse under color of authority.
Though the four were arrested and booked at their respective county jails, they will be tried by the SLO County District Attorney’s Office and in local Superior Court.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance with this investigation by the FBI Computer Analysis Response Team.”
