Times coverage: Man convicted of torturing elderly says he was beaten in jail

Sept. 9, 2010, 5:45 p.m.

A man convicted of abusing and torturing the elderly said he has been abused while incarcerated in a Los Angeles County jail. Cesar Ulloa, a 22-year-old Latino, said he was brutally beaten by other inmates on two occasions despite requesting to be removed from the general population housing, according to a sworn statement he made to the American Civil Liberties Union.

In April, Ulloa was convicted of torturing vulnerable residents while acting as a caregiver at Silverado Senior Living, an upscale Calabasas retirement home.

A Van Nuys jury found Ulloa guilty on eight counts of torture and elder abuse and he was given a life sentence.

His victims included Elmore Kittower, an 80-year-old white man and resident at the medical facility. Kittower’s case initially was listed by the coroner as a homicide but ultimately coroner's investigators said they could not reach a determination. Ulloa was not charged in connection with Kittower's death. Sources close to the investigation said there did appear to be some trauma to Kittower's remains that was consistent with an assault.

According to Ulloa's statement released Thursday, he was in general population housing at Pitchess Detention Center in April when another inmate brought a copy of The Times, which previewed Ulloa's case and featured photo, into his dorm. Other inmates, according to his statement, beat him so badly he suffered a broken eye socket and brain damage.

When his verdict was read that month, the former caregiver had a black eye, and said he had been attacked.

According to his statement, he asked to be held in protective custody after he recovered, but was mocked. His request was denied.

-- Robert Faturechi and Sarah Ardalani

25 reader comments

The Eighth Amendment protects citizens from the government -- not from each other. One inmate beating up another inmate is not necessarily a violation of the Eighth Amendment. It would become a violation only if the guards and system did nothing to protect him AFTER the fight broke out. The simple fact is that he was attacked by another inmate -- not by a guard or the system. It's only his word that says he requested to be put in Protective Custody and was refused. Even if he was refused, the refusal could have been his interpretation of the guards lack of IMMEDIATE action. However, the system isn't controlled by the inmates. The guards control the system. I think, too, he's just looking for some $$$, which he wouldn't end up with anyway, or looking for another opportunity to escape while being transported to a Court hearing.

— Kathie Sept. 15, 2010 at 4:31 a.m.

syscom3, I never said that it was government sanctioned punishment!

As you have stated many times over the years on this site, "Show me where I said that"!

Mine was a comment aimed at other commentors that believe prison violence is justified.

A couple of examples:

"Wah, I tortured defenseless old people and now convicts are beating the crap out of me, wah!"

"Well just think he has a whole life time to look over his shoulder,this will not stop,they will find out in prison and do it again and again,glad to see he is getting what he deserves."

Several commentors think that prison violence is justified, it is to be expected, and prisoners deserve it.

That does amount to cruel and unusual punishment.

I'll say it again, I'd hate to see what kind of constitution we would come up today based on the comments of many of my fellow citizens.

— Mark Sept. 13, 2010 at 3:58 p.m.

What he is looking for is a lawsuit, money for HIS rights being violated, because no one protected him. He violated and harmed helpless people-NOW he wants special treatment? He should be made to stay right where he is and to do the time just like every other person in prison. I do not feel anything for him--BUT....It is not right to beat up other inmates-No matter what they have done. I dont feel it is right because if they can beat the inmates they feel have done the worst imaginable crime (which his crime is very serious and unimaginable) then what if it becomes a free for all and all inmates become fair game-what if,for example,they decide to beat up all inmates with red hair or to beat up all inmates in for petty crimes. No, we must not allow this behavior to continue because it will effect / affect all of the inmates sooner or later.

— TrumpTight Sept. 13, 2010 at 11:51 a.m.

The police must have known that Mr. Ulloa's case would be a front news headliner because of its outrageousness, and so would be found out by the prison's general populous, and because of this I believe they knowingly hoped for and were glad that the torturer was badly beaten while incarcerated while under their watch. They were legally required to protect him but their unwritten rules of engagement called for passively, but knowingly, consenting to his being beaten. The Mosaic Law wisely introduced legislation in older times to prevent further violence and murder such as this that our present law also hopes to prevent. A wise man once said that if we continue down the unproductive path of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," we will all soon be eyeless and toothless.
There is a difference between Justice and Revenge.
On a side note, I believe that the police have many unfair, immoral unwritten rules of engagement with both criminals and the general public; last week in Venice I reported a thief stealing bicycle tires under a shroud of fog, but when I helped the police catch the criminal, they brought him to the crime scene that I ran back to, and the cop said with a proud, smug look of disresepectful satisfaction, that the criminal needed to get a good look at me to see who his false accuser was. But then I pointed to the police the bike with its two tires missing, and then got on the bus to not have deal with that twat of an officer.

— Ronald Diaz Sept. 12, 2010 at 9:21 a.m.

Citizenjohn,

The very fact that those in prison have commited violent crimes means that there is going to be violence in prisons. There is no way of stopping the violence, short of keeping very single prisoner in his own cell and locked up 24 hours a day. The fact that prison is so awful and that there is uncalled for violence should be one of the reasons why none of us want to go in there. Ulloa does not derserve my empathy did you see the video he produced? Did you see what he did to those people? HE is a VIOLENT person, he is exactly where he should be! My grandmother was in the home. To this day I still don't know if he hurt her. She was hurt but unable to explaine why or who did it. I got her out of there after a two week period because no one could figure out why she was hurt or what was going on. Ulloa is not some man who made a bad mistake he is a prediator who is now the prey. He shouldn't have done the crime if he can't do the time.

— SJP Sept. 10, 2010 at 7:09 p.m.

The Homicide Report

Times coverage: Man convicted of torturing elderly says he was beaten in jail

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25 reader comments