EspañolSettlement Following a Death in Torrance Police Custody
Carrillo Law Firm helped obtain an $8.5 million settlement in the case arising from the death of Juan Antonio Obeso Soto while in Torrance Police Department custody on October 8, 2021. His family alleged that officers failed to respond to clear signs of a mental health crisis and failed to adequately monitor him after placing him in a holding cell.
Obeso Soto had been arrested for public intoxication and reported that he believed people were trying to kill him. He was placed alone in a cell with a telephone cord that he used to hang himself. The family’s case focused on deficient intake screening, missed safety checks, and the failure to discover his condition promptly. According to the evidence, surveillance footage showed him hanging at approximately 10:40 a.m., but staff did not discover him until approximately 12:05 p.m.
The litigation also identified a safety-check log entry for a check that had not occurred. The settlement resolved claims arising from the family’s loss of a son, husband, and father.
