LOS ANGELES — A former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was sentenced Monday to two years in federal prison for violating the civil rights of a man at a Compton skate park by improperly detaining him and then acting to cover up his actions.
Miguel Vega, 33, of Corona, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and pay a $5,000 fine due immediately. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson set a self-surrender date of Feb. 29.
“You violated your solemn oath to uphold the law and in doing so abused the public trust,” the judge told Vega in downtown Los Angeles. “What is so galling is that you knew what you did was illegal — but it simply didn’t matter.”
Vega pleaded guilty in September to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a crime that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. He admitted to having falsely imprisoned the 23-year-old skateboarder in his patrol car, which crashed during a subsequent chase, leaving the man injured. He also admitted filing false reports to cover up his and his partner’s unlawful conduct.
Vega and his former partner, Christopher Hernandez, 37, were also involved in the June 2020 killing of 18-year-old Andres Guardado, who was shot five times in the back by Vega as the deputies pursued him near Gardena after he allegedly displayed a handgun, according to court records.
The shooting led to widespread protests, and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Guardado’s family against the county was settled last year for $8 million.
No criminal charges were filed in that case.
In a statement to the court Monday in the skateboarder case, Vega described his conduct as “atrocious” and apologized to the victim, who declined to come to court.
“I was a monster and it took a lot of soul-searching to understand that,” Vega told the judge.
Hernandez pleaded guilty in July to one count of conspiracy. A sentencing hearing is set in Los Angeles…
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