ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Two men arrested for allegedly interfering with Arvin PD this week say they want justice. According to them, the Arvin PD officers came at them aggressively.

• An Arvin family whose house caught fire is speaking out, claiming they were victims of police brutality
• Arvin Police say two brothers were 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 disagreed, and they say they have evidence.

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 interfered and refused to obey police orders. We hear from their families who say they were the victims of police brutality.

Last Monday, a house on Alcala Street in Arvin caught fire. The family who live here say it was caused by a fire from an empty lot next door, and it’s not the first time it’s happened. They said that in September, they told police that a homeless man lived there and often started fires near their home.

Christian Flores, one of the men arrested, says he was at home with his sister and cousin when they noticed the fire and immediately called 911.

“I ran into the house to tell my brother and my cousins ​​to get out,” Flores said. “I took important documents and walked across the street past the Veterans Hall.”

While they were waiting for firefighters, Flores says his older brother, Manuel Flores, and a friend, Marvin Ovidio, who were nearby, arrived at the scene. Shocked by the sight of the scene, Marvin says he fell unconscious.

“Anyone in my position would have reacted the same way,” Manuel said. “I was scared, I didn’t know if my brothers were inside, I didn’t know anything. I was scared and I started crying and fainting.”

When he became conscious, Manuel says he told officers the fire could have been avoided, but police did nothing to address the previous situation. At that point, Manuel says, the officers became aggressive and began hitting him in the stomach, where he recently had surgery.

“Just because I told the officer that the police never did anything, he came up to me and started punching me in the stomach when I told him I had a recent operation. My wounds started bleeding and I fell to earth,” said Manuel.

While trying to defend Manuel, Flores and Ovidio said they also fell victim to the officers. Flores says he was punched in the chest, while Ovidio says an officer allegedly hit him in the face with a baton.

“I kept telling the officer to leave him alone because he just had surgery and that’s why he came after me, look how he left my face,” Ovidio said.

We asked Arvin police for a response to the family’s claims. In a statement to 23ABC, Arvin Police Chief Alex Ghazalpour responded, writing, quote,

“At this time, we will not discuss details of the ongoing investigation as we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the process. Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be forwarded to the District Prosecutor’s Office for examination. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding and currently have no additional information to provide.”

According to the family, they will forever be traumatized by the night, not only by the fire, but also by the way they were allegedly treated by the police.

“We want justice,” Flores said. “What the police did to us was not right, they are here to help and support us not to hurt us and hit us.”

The Flores’ home remains marked red, meaning it is not safe for them to enter. As a result, the family was accommodated at a local church.

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