The Brief

The Los Angeles County Probation Department has put eight officers on leave after an incident between the officers and youth detained at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

Probation Department Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said he immediately put the officers on leave after being notified of the “alleged misconduct.” Viera Rosa said in a statement that the department is “actively identifying and removing those who do not align with our core values and standards to eliminate the negative influences within our organization.”

The incident is being independently investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Michael Chen, a spokesperson for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, said it is not usual protocol to transfer investigations. When asked why the L.A. County Sheriff's Department was asked to handle the investigation, he directed LAist to submit a request for further information.

"We initiated an investigation on January 8th, 2024," they said in a statement. "It’s extremely early in the investigation process as Sheriff’s investigators are continuing to review evidence and information to determine the extent and scope of the alleged misconduct."

The Probation Department did not respond in time for a request for comment.

Diane Terry sits on the Probation Oversight Committee, composed of civilians who advise the Probation Department and the Board of Supervisors on reform and policies. She said she appreciates the transparency of the department in informing the public of the officers' leave. However, she did want more information on what happened, what the next steps are and how the L.A. County Sheriff’s investigation might look like given youth are involved.

Supervisor Janice Hahn, in whose district Los Padrinos is located, did not respond to a request for comment.

Tauheedah Shakur, director of organizing at the nonprofit organization Youth Justice Coalition, said she wasn’t surprised to learn about the alleged misconduct, because “misconduct in terms of probation officers happens all the time.”

“I've seen firsthand parents getting turned away from visiting their kids because they have spaghetti straps on or because they had open toed shoes or they had baggy sweatpants or their tattoos were showing,” she said. “They get to decide randomly when they want to reinforce rules or when they don't."

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall reopened last year, after being shut down for child abuse, and Shakur’s organization opposed the move by the supervisors.

“We weren't in favor of Los Padrinos opening back up because oftentimes kids don't have access to clean facilities, like the facilities are very decrepit, kids were peeing on themselves, plumbing is an issue,” she said. “Why pay more money to open up a facility that got closed down because it was so toxic, and instead, why don't we invest in better alternatives.”

This story was originally published by The LA Local on Feb. 20, 2026.

In an old asphalt parking lot off of Crenshaw Boulevard, L.A. County homelessness officials have been testing out their first RV-based transitional housing program.

For some of the residents of the 11 RVs parked in the South L.A. lot today, it’s the closest thing to stable housing they’ve had in years.

The 24-hour, 14-spot RV safe parking lot is a unique, albeit tiny, component of the county’s massive homeless service ecosystem, tailored specifically to RV dwellers who aren’t ready to relinquish their vehicles.

“We got everything. We got water. We got restrooms. People are so nice,” said Mikolaj Marciniak, who has been living with his partner in an aging RV for over a year. “Sometimes all you need is a little bit of help.”

The RV safe parking lot program has guided a dozen RV dwellers to permanent housing in its nearly first year of operation, a result that’s convinced L.A. County officials to keep the program rolling at least another year.

More than 72,000 people are homeless on a given night in L.A. County and RVs are the most common type of shelter for people living outdoors, according to the county’s 2025 count, with nearly 6,300 counted across the county last year.

Mikolaj Marciniak stands in his RV, parked in LA County’s RV safe parking lot. The transitional housing program has helped connect a dozen people to permanent housing.

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Isaiah Murtaugh

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The LA Local

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Residents of the RV safe parking lot get access to a mobile bathroom unit, a stocked outdoor kitchenette and a few pieces of exercise equipment. Marciniak told The LA Local before he moved to the lot, RV life was difficult, with neighbors wanting him and his partner to move along. Twice, he said, their tires were slashed.

But in the fenced lot, he said, life is calmer.

“You are protected,” said Marciniak, who moved to the U.S. from his native Ukraine in 2020. “You feel [that] you belong.”

The couple has been living in the RV lot less than a year and is already looking for a permanent apartment through a housing voucher program.

Since the program began, nine of the RV safe lot’s residents have moved into permanent housing, with three more on their way, according to Mel Tillekeratne, executive director of Shower of Hope. The nonprofit provides case management for residents and helps connect them with medical and housing services.

“It’s not just about removing a RV off the street,” Tillekeratne said. “It’s making sure the person in there, whether it’s a senior, a young couple, that they go somewhere safe, and they’re happy and they don’t have to worry about homelessness again.”

RVs line up in an RV safe parking lot in South LA.

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Isaiah Murtaugh

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The LA Local

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The lot, outside a vacant former county probation office, is not a permanent installation. The county is finalizing plans to extend the program by another year with funding from the county’s Measure A homeless service and affordable housing sales tax, according to Isela Gracian, senior deputy on homelessness and housing for L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell

“There is more need. The challenge is that people believe it’s too high of a cost for the number of people it serves,” Gracian said. “Sometimes we need to have a program that’s a bit more expensive if it meets the needs of the people it serves.”

Mitchell, said Gracian, does not want to be part of the “whack-a-mole” game of shuffling RVs from block to block as residents and businesses call with concerns.

“The true solution is having homes” Gracian said. “The additional outcome is improvement to the physical environment for communities.”

The budget for this year’s Measure A revenue was sorted out early this month. County supervisors will hold a hearing on the rest of the budget for the county’s new homeless services and housing department on Feb. 27.

This year is the first for the L.A. County Homeless Services and Housing department, created after the county voted to pull back hundreds of millions in funding for the regional L.A. Homeless Service Authority.

Gracian said the county is still sorting out how the new department will work. It will take over the bulk of the former LAHSA funding this summer.

What does it mean to rebuild after disaster?

That depends on who you ask.

For some people, it’s rebuilding homes that were destroyed in the Eaton or Palisades fires. For others, it’s living in those destroyed communities, either having never left or just recently returned.

Some people might have moved away altogether to rebuild their lives, and others are still moving from place to place, waiting to return home.

Rebuilding your home, community and life can mean so many things. LAist wants to showcase the different ways L.A. residents are experiencing it through a community-centered photo project.

So, what does rebuilding look like for you?

Share your photos and experiences in the survey below and we may include your pictures and stories in an upcoming feature. We won’t publish anything you share without your permission.