Former #LosAngeles County sheriff's deputy Christopher Hernandez has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiring to violate the civil rights of a 23-year-old skateboarder named Jesus Alegria. This case stems from an incident where Hernandez and another former deputy, Miguel Vega, were accused of kidnapping and abusing Alegria after he yelled at them to stop harassing teens in a #Compton park. The deputies forced Alegria into their cruiser, which later crashed during a pursuit of another man. They then fabricated a drug arrest to cover up their actions.
In December, Vega was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Both deputies were deemed ineligible to work as police officers or deputies in California due to their criminal convictions.
Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Hernandez to prison, stating that a one-year sentence was insufficient as it did not adequately address the damage caused to public confidence in law enforcement. Hernandez's attorney argued for a lighter sentence, but the judge disagreed, pointing out that Hernandez had multiple opportunities to come forward and did not.
Alegria, in his victim impact statement, described the emotional toll the false arrest has taken on him. The incident occurred in April 2020 when the deputies confronted Alegria and, without a lawful basis, detained and terrorized him. They even threatened to fabricate drug charges. The incident only ended when the cruiser crashed, and Hernandez and Vega continued to cover up their actions.
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Link: LA Times
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