A whistleblower says she lost her job after exposing drug abuse linked to burrito deliveries at a San Diego juvenile detention facility. The allegations are serious. And the details are disturbing.
According to reports, drugs were allegedly smuggled inside food and delivered directly into a facility meant to rehabilitate minors. Instead of protection and structure, some youth reportedly experienced chaos and medical emergencies.
The situation centers around the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Center in San Diego County. The facility houses minors accused or convicted of serious offenses. However, the whistleblower claims what she witnessed went beyond mismanagement. She says it reflected systemic issues inside the county’s juvenile system.
Drug Abuse Linked to Burrito Deliveries at San Diego Juvenile Detention Center
The drugs were stuffed inside a burrito, which a guard from the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Center had brought into the facility and dispersed to the youth inside. Minutes later, facility social worker Juliana Gonzales entered the unit. What she saw, she says, was overwhelming.
“It was complete chaos. A couple of the youth were taken to the hospital after experiencing negative reactions to the drugs,” Gonzales told CBS 8.
This was not a minor incident. According to Gonzales, several youth required hospital treatment. That means real harm. Real medical emergencies. Real consequences.Moreover, Gonzales says this was not isolated. She describes the burrito incident as just one of numerous drug-related issues she witnessed while working inside the county’s 290-bed juvenile detention center.
East Mesa houses minors who committed serious offenses. Therefore, structure and supervision should be tight. Instead, Gonzales alleges drugs entered the facility through staff involvement. That changes everything.When contraband comes from inside, it becomes harder to control. Additionally, the youth involved often suffer the consequences. Some reportedly experienced adverse reactions. Others required medical care.
Furthermore, Gonzales says the exposure to drugs created deeper issues among the youth.“These kids are being subjected to trauma, and the trauma that’s coming from the way that they’re treated, the way that they’re punished, and the drugs that are being brought into the facility,” Gonzalez told CBS 8. “That creates substance use issues for these youth, and it’s really the last thing that they need.”Her statement points to a larger concern. Juvenile detention centers are supposed to focus on rehabilitation. Instead, she says the environment intensified trauma.
Whistleblower Fired After Reporting Alleged Abuse and Corruption
The whistleblower fired after exposing drug abuse linked to burrito deliveries at San Diego Juvenile Detention Center says she did what she believed was right.
Gonzales says she reported the incidents to her supervisors. She says she documented concerns. And she says she expected corrective action.
However, she claims the response went in the opposite direction. Gonzales says she witnessed guards beating some minors, leaving them with broken eye sockets, broken arms, their teeth getting knocked out by other inmates as well as by guards.
She alleges she reported these issues internally. Yet instead of reform, she says her access to the facility was revoked. According to her account, the county revoked her clearance to the facility, effectively ending her employment.
