3 deputies found guilty in beating of visitor at a Los Angeles jail
LOS ANGELES -- Three Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have been found guilty on all counts in the 2011 beating of a visitor at Men's Central Jail.
Sgt. Eric Gonzalez and Deputy Sussie Ayala were found guilty of conspiracy to violate constitutional rights, deprivation of rights and falsification of records in the Feb. 26, 2011, beating of Gabriel Carrillo.
Deputy Fernando Luviano was found guilty of deprivation of rights and falsification of records.
Two other guards charged in Carrillo's beating previously pleaded guilty in the case and testified against their former co-workers.
Jurors were shown video of Carrillo being interviewed by deputies immediately following the beating. His face was battered, swollen and caked with blood, and his white T-shirt was blood-soaked and ripped apart.
Prosecutors say Carrillo "mouthed off" to the deputies after bringing a cellphone into the visiting center lobby, a misdemeanor violation of the law.
Carrillo was handcuffed and escorted to a deputy break room, where the beating took place.
None of the defendants took the witness stand during the trial. The defense claimed Carrillo was the aggressor - that at one point, one hand was freed from the handcuffs so that he could be fingerprinted. The defense says that's when he swung the metal restraint violently, using it as a weapon against the deputies.
Federal prosecutor Brandon Fox denied that allegation, saying there was "clear, consistent and overwhelming" evidence that both of Carrillo's hands were restrained in handcuffs behind his back during the altercation with deputies.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Nov. 2. A hearing will be held later Wednesday afternoon to determine whether the three deputies should be taken into custody pending their sentencing.
Last year, Los Angeles County settled a lawsuit with Carrillo for $1,175,000.
