SMPD Case Goes on the Road
The Santa Monica Police Department’s extended effort to make a case against Oscar de la Torre would be ludicrous, if it weren’t deadly serious.
According to the police, several months ago, two youths, a black and a Latino, got into a fight near the Pico Youth and Family Center, which de la Torre founded 12 years ago, and directs.
Someone alerted de la Torre. According to the police, he went outside, watched the fight for 59 seconds and then intervened and stopped the fight.
Bravo! Right? Wrong!
The police were not there. They based their case on bystandders’ videos of the incident. Apparently, they did not see a citizen doing a good deed, they saw a possible felony:”child endangerment.”
When does ending a fight constitute “child endangerment?”According to the SMPD, when the alleged “perp” waits 59 seconds before intervening. The District Attorney disagreed.
The police spent several months making their case, but, according to one report, the DA rej ected the 42-page report on reading it, and refused to file charges against de la Torre.
In addition to being founder and director of the Center, he has been a member of the Santa Moni ca-
Malibu Unified School District Board of Education for eight years, and board president for two years.
He is currently running for re-election.
De la Torre, who grew up here. was student body president at SAMOHI and a community leader, has devoted his life to ending teen/gang violence, but, as far as we know, he is the first and only teacher, school official, social worker or any other in loco parentis to be charged with child endangerment for not stopping a fight, much less not stopping it fast enough.
What’s going on here?
The City Manager has sent the case out of town for review by a panel of law yers, thus.relieving local officials of the need to deal with this intensel.y, uniquely local issue. But why should our elected and
appointed officials be allowed to avoid the tough decisions?.
City Hall claims this approach ensures “objectivity.” But what we need is accountability – from everyone.
Wow. Great article. By far the only one that brings some decent light and justice to this situation.
Thank you!
DISPATCH. Get your facts straight, and publish a balanced review. I did my own research and have been following this story. Unlike a common passing citizen, Oscar had a DUTY and OBLIGATION to intervene in the fight because he had a RELATIONSHIP and ROLE as LEADER and MENTOR with one of the two kids. Oscar knew one of the kids (“R.D.”) very well, and even knows his family. “R.D.” is one of Oscar’s special PYFC projects to help avoid gangs. Talk to “R.D.’s” family to verify that. So, Oscar gets to the fight in its infancy and does NOTHING. Halfway through Oscar actually helps the fight continue by holding the crowd back. Only after the fight is WAY dangerous does Oscar feel the need to step in. Shameful! That’s the truth. Maybe not a criminally prosecutable case for 12 jurors to agree upon. But ultimately Oscar proved himself to be unethical and cowardly. I’m getting tired of hearing Oscar’s mantra that he is a “victim”. Please! By the way, did anyone talk to the other kid and his parents for their perspective? Hmmmm. Not very thorough DISPATCH! I don’t expect you will post my comments either.
Publish a balanced review, like what, SMDP and The Mirror? pleease, too funny. Just because Mr.Jett declares that de la Torre (DLT) had an obligation doesn’t make it so. If there is some contract that we don’t know about then please do share Mr. Jettt. And so what if DLT knew the kid, everyone who actually lives the Santa Monica commoner reality knows that DLT handled that situation in the most efficient way and for the greater good of the whole community. The SMPD is just banking off the ruling class of Santa Monica’s ignorance of the commoner/street reality and it’s dynamics. This situation could have easily spilled out into a continuous series of violence but it did not, it got neutralized on the spot. Now ,thank god, there are 2 less young African and Indigenous men in the Youth Authority System trap. Young men fight, It happens. Welcome to the real world Mr. Jett. To me “unethical and cowardly” is conveniently leaving out accounts of SMPD’s long history of subverting SM’s organic Black & Brown community organizations and leaders and ignoring the timing and (lack of) etiquette displayed by SMPD in this particular head hunt.
Great point Miguel, and glad you brought it up! The parents of the juvenile involved (“RD”), actually did sign several “contracts” enabling “RD” to participate in several different programs at the PYFC, hence a “defacto” obligation to supervise “RD” and keep him from getting hurt…and keep him from trouble! Miguel, I suggest you pay the nominal fee and obtain your own copy of the investigation, like I did, and truly analyze the scenario. It will amaze you what you can find out when you objectively look at the FACTS rather than operate off of racially biased emotion and an apparent blind allegience to “DLT.
I stand by my FACTUAL assessment: Oscar DLT demonstrated he is unethical and cowardly.
“Contracts” + “de facto” + ad-hominem evasions = Factual Assessment ? — I’m loving the effort JJ but I think you can grab a few more straws.
Obtain my own copy of the of the investigation? You mean the one based off a pixelated, 30 second cell phone video clip?– Truly analyze the scenario? LOL.
“Racially biased emotion – apparent blind allegiance – DLT is unethical and cowardly.”
Objective research? You’re on a roll JJ!
Oh, and thanks for the projections.