Lynwood Family Wants To Know If Excessive Force Arrest Led To Son's Death 7 Months Later
LYNWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A Lynwood family is speaking out Wednesday about what they said was excessive force by sheriff's deputies in the arrest of their son.
The family said video of the arrest -- taken by a neighbor last March -- contradicts testimony by the detectives involved.
The arrest and subsequent fight with deputies escalated when two members of the family -- a father and son -- told deputies who were investigating reports of a Peeping Tom that they had done nothing wrong.
On Wednesday, the family demanded a federal investigation into the arrest.
CBS2's Dave Lopez says the family has also hired an attorney.
On the video, Lopez reports. you can hear the sound of a Taser being employed and see a man being tossed off his porch.
During a preliminary hearing, three LA County sheriff's deputies testified under oath the two men resisted arrest and tried to start a riot and that they feared for their lives.
Marco H. Arevalo, speaking in Spanish, said he was the man who is shown being tossed off his porch. He said he was just trying to help his son and did nothing wrong.
His 33-year-old son, Marco A. Arevalo, who was tased and reportedly hit with a baton, died a month ago while awaiting his trial date.
In Spanish, his mother cried as she spoke.
"My son did nothing wrong," she said, in translation.
The family said Arbaldo was healthy. He went to bed one night and just didn't wake up the next morning.
An initial autopsy does not list a cause of death.
Is there a connection between use of the Taser and the death of their son seven months later? The family is hoping for answers from a final autopsy that will give a cause of death.
For now, they said they are holding off on a lawsuit. Their lawyer, Michael Carrillo, also wants the deputies investigated for perjury for what he called lying at the preliminary investigation.
When the video surfaced, charges against Arevalo were dropped.
Marco Arevalo said they knew who the Peeping Tom suspect was. He and his son were just hanging out being inquisitive. He said all of a sudden they found themselves pushed, hit with a Taser and arrested.
On Wednesday, the sheriff's department told Lopez the deputies were thoroughly investigated and cleared of any wrongdoing. But, they said, in light of the video, the investigation might be re-opened.
