By Robert Faturechi and Jack Leonard
LOS ANGELES — Sheriff’s Deputies David Aviles and Salvador Esquivel Jr. started their careers as rookies on the “3000 floor” of Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail, a place reserved for the most dangerous inmates.
Along the dimly lighted hallway of cramped cells on the floor, suspected killers and notorious gang leaders peer out from behind the bars. Many face a lifetime in prison and have learned to survive in a confined and ruthless world. They fashion makeshift knives from toothbrushes and sharp spears from ripped magazines.
During their early years guarding the 3000 floor, Aviles and Esquivel racked up some of the highest numbers of force incidents at the jail, according to confidential documents from 2009 reviewed by The Times. Aviles used force on inmates 19 times during more than 3 ½ years. Esquivel had 27 force incidents over four years, including one suspension in 2007 for excessive force, one memo states.
Full Story: Toughest inmates guarded by some of least-experienced jailers