ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Two men arrested for allegedly interfering with the Arvin PD this week say they want justice. According to them, police officers from Arvin PD came at them aggressively.
- An Arvin family whose house caught on fire is speaking out, alleging they were victims of police brutality
- Arvin police claim two brothers confronted and refused to obey police orders, leading to a confrontation and the brothers' arrest.
- But family members tell a different story, saying it was the police who were out of line, and they say, have proof.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Two brothers, Christian and Manuel Flores are the two men arrested in Arvin for allegedly interfering with the police when their house caught fire.
The brothers and their family dispute claims by Arvin police that they were interfering and refused to obey police orders. We hear from their family, who say they were the ones victimized by police brutality.
This past Monday, a house on Alcala Street in Arvin caught on fire. The family who lives here says it was caused by a fire from an empty lot next door, and this isn't the first time it's happened. They said that in September, they told police a homeless man lived there and often started fires close to their home.
Christian Flores, one of the men arrested says he was home with his sister and cousin when they noticed the fire and immediately called 911.
"I ran inside the house to tell my brother and cousins to get out," said Flores. "We grabbed important documents and went across the street by the Veteran’s Hall."
As they waited for the fire department, Flores says his older brother, Manuel Flores, and a friend Marvin Ovidio—who were nearby arrived on the scene. Shocked by the sight of the scene, Marvin says he became unconscious.
"Anyone in my position would have reacted the same way," stated Manuel. "I was afraid, I didn’t know if my siblings were inside, I didn’t know anything. I was scared and started crying and fainted."
When he became conscious, Manuel says he told the officers that the fire could have been avoided, but police had done nothing to address the previous situation. It was at that moment, Manuel says, that the officers became aggressive and started hitting his stomach where he recently had surgery.
"Just because I told the officer that the police department never did anything, he came to me and started hitting my stomach when I told him I recently had surgery. My wounds started to bleed and I fell to the ground," said Manuel.
As they attempted to defend Manuel, Flores, and Ovidio said they also fell victim to the officers. Flores says he was tased on the chest while Ovidio says an officer allegedly hit him in the face with a nightstick.
"I kept telling the officer to leave him alone because he just had surgery and that was the reason why he came after me, look at how he left my face," said Ovidio.
We asked Arvin police for a response to the family's claims. In a statement to 23ABC, Arvin Chief of Police Alex Ghazalpour responded, writing, quote,
"At this time, we will not discuss details regarding the ongoing investigation, as we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the process. Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding, and we currently have no additional information to provide."
According to the family, they’ll forever be traumatized by the night not just by the fire, but also by the way they were allegedly treated by the police.
"We want justice," stated Flores. "What the police officers did to us wasn’t right, they’re here to help and support us not to hurt and hit us."
The Flores’ home remains red-tagged, meaning it is unsafe for them to go inside. As a result, the family has been staying at a local church.
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