The family of Deputy Alfredo “Freddy” Flores, a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, has filed a wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit following his death in April 2024 from injuries sustained during a training incident at the Pitchess Detention Center – North County Correctional Facility.

Attorneys John Carpenter and Carlos Hernandez of Carpenter & Zuckerman, in partnership with Joe Nuñez of Westford Law, formally announced the lawsuit during a press conference held on Monday.

The suit stems from the October 10, 2023, fire at the Pitchess Detention Center involving an Inveris mobile shooting range trailer, which severely injured Flores while he was undergoing firearm re-certification. 

The fire broke out inside the 53-foot trailer at approximately 9:30 a.m., causing extensive injuries that led to a prolonged medical battle for Flores. After months of complications, he passed away on April 20, 2024 – more than six months after the incident.

“Freddy’s death has been a profound loss for the entire family, including for his surviving wife, Maggie Flores, and their surviving children, Victoria, Kayla, Nathaniel, and Adrian. Freddy was taken from all of our lives far too soon,” stated the Flores family in a statement provided by John Carpenter and Carlos Hernandez of Carpenter & Zuckerman and Joe Nuñez of Westford Law Group.

Compilation of Deputy Alfredo “Freddy” Flores. Courtesy image.

The statement continued, saying, “While nothing can fill the void left in our family’s life resulting from Freddy’s untimely death, with this lawsuit, we seek answers to our questions and accountability for the tragic incident that took him from our lives. With this lawsuit, we also want to ensure that no other deputies lose their lives in this way because no family should have to go through the devastation that our family has had to face and continues to face every day.”

As part of the investigation into the incident, the State of California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued five citations to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – North County Correctional Facility and its successors. The citations were the result of Cal/OSHA’s inspection and investigation into conditions surrounding the fatal training incident.

Citation 1 is classified as a repeat regulatory violation. It states that LASD failed to maintain proper records of scheduled and periodic workplace safety inspections as required by California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3203(b)(1). This was a repeated violation based on a similar citation issued in May 2021, and the proposed penalty is $1,000.

Citation 2 is classified as a serious violation. It concerns LASD’s failure to establish, implement, and maintain an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) in compliance with Section 3203(a)(4). Specifically, the department did not identify or evaluate workplace hazards in its indoor mobile shooting ranges, including the accumulation of propellant that posed a fire hazard. The proposed penalty is $25,000.

Citation 3, also a serious violation, relates to LASD’s failure to correct known unsafe conditions in a timely manner, as required under Section 3203(a)(6). The department was previously aware of hazardous accumulations of propellant in mobile shooting ranges and did not take adequate steps to prevent the recurrence of fires. The proposed penalty is $25,000.

Citation 4 is classified as a willful-serious accident-related violation. It addresses LASD’s failure to inspect and maintain the indoor mobile shooting trailer (California License #915110) according to manufacturer guidelines, in violation of Section 3328(b). This neglect resulted in a serious incident on October 10, 2023, when the trailer exploded and caught fire, seriously injuring two employees. The proposed penalty is $125,000.

Citation 5, also a willful-serious accident-related violation, cites LASD’s failure to clean combustible dust from the indoor mobile shooting trailer, as required under Section 5174(f). The dust accumulation posed a significant fire and explosion hazard. This failure led directly to the October 10, 2023, explosion that caused serious injuries to two employees. The proposed penalty is $125,000.

In total, the proposed penalties for all five citations amount to $301,000.

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