'Imposter' Healthcare Worker Gains Access To Sylmar Juvenile Hall, Obtains Several COVID-19 Swabs From Youth Members
SYMLAR (CBSLA) — According to a report from The Los Angeles Times, a person posing as a healthcare worker gained access to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, where they swabbed the mouths of several children.
The information was revealed to The Times, and several employees of the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. The email revealed that the breach occurred on January 29, when the "imposter" simply walked past the armed security guards to enter the facility.
No children were injured during the incident, though several of them had their mouths swabbed for COVID-19 by the faux healthcare worker.
Attorneys who represent children housed at the juvenile detention center were urged to contact clients and determine if they were impacted.
The County Probation Department confirmed the breach in security to The LAist, who was the first to break the news.
A statement from Chief Deputy Probation Officer Karen Fletcher said, "It is reprehensible that an individual would impersonate a healthcare worker and take advantage of one of our most vulnerable populations. It is disheartening, disrespectful and criminal."
This incident comes months after the California Board of State and Community Corrections had deemed many of Los Angeles' juvenile detention centers unlivable, according to The Times.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
