Thirty officers at a Southern California juvenile detention facility have been charged for their role in facilitating so-called “gladiator fights” between youth in their care, the state’s attorney general said Monday.

Thirty officers working at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in L.A. County face criminal charges for allegedly facilitating "gladiator fights" among detained teenagers, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday.

Thirty officers have been accused of staging dozens of brutal "gladiator fights" at a youth detention facility in California.

Officers had allowed and in some cases encouraged fights between teens being held at a detention center in Downey, Calif., the state’s attorney general said.

The officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall are also charged with child endangerment, conspiracy, and battery, California's Attorney General said.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged some officers promoted, watched and covered up the fights that occurred over a six-month span in 2023.

Los Angeles County officers are accused of staging what prosecutors are calling "gladiator fights" inside a juvenile dentition center in California. NBC News' Steve Patterson reports on how authorities are being pushed to investigate the conditions inside the facility.

Prosecutors accuse some officers at the youth detention centre of acting as 'referees' as dozens of fights ensued.