2 more deputies on leave

Female inmate allegedly mistreated

MILPITAS — Two female correctional deputies were placed on administrative leave this week following allegations they abused a woman inmate at the Elmwood Correctional Complex, a source familiar with the investigation told this newspaper late Friday.

The development this week adds another public wound to the county’s beleaguered jail system. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has been working to institute rapid reforms after mentally ill inmate Michael Tyree was beaten to death in August, reportedly by three correctional deputies who have been charged with murder.

Since the three guards were charged in Tyree’s death, two other jail guards have also been arrested.

One was accused of illegally using a criminal database for personal use and the other of workers’ compensation fraud. Both cases are pending.

In addition, the former president of the correctional officers union was placed on administrative leave in connection with a separate probe into the purported exchange by some guards of hundreds of racist text messages.

Two Santa Clara County Jail guards were arrested last month on suspicion of beating a shackled inmate. The two men, Phillip Abecendario and Tuan Le, are accused of assaulting a chronic offender in July, about a month before three other guards reportedly beat Tyree to death and attacked another prisoner.

All three correctional deputies in the Tyree case — Jereh Lubrin, Rafael Rodriguez and Matthew Farris — pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges.

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