Woman With Special Needs Says She Was Mistakenly Arrested In Gang Sweep

HESPERIA (CBSLA.com) — A high desert woman says she was mistakenly arrested during a gang sweep, but her family says she is not a criminal; she is a person with special needs.

Kylee Olsen, 25, and her father, Steve, are upset after she was arrested during a gang sweep Friday night. Olsen, who is 4-foot-10 and 110 pounds, was born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

"I just think it had to be so obvious that she's a special-needs child, that they could've handled this more levelly, had us come get her. Had us do something," said Steve Olsen, a retired firefighter.

Kylee Olsen was waiting for a bus outside a Super Target when she says two deputies accused her of being high on methamphetamine. Her arrest report says she was "under the influence of a controlled substance."

She admits that her eyes were red at the time.

"The only thing I had taken are the two prescribed medications that the dentist had given me for my surgery that I just had last week," she said.

Kylee Olsen said the deputies placed her in the back of their squad car and drove her around as they continued their sweep and made more arrests.

She said she also suffered bruises on her wrist and an arm from the handcuffs and from where her blood was drawn at the sheriff station. She was then taken to the Men's Detention Center in Adelanto and placed in a cell with other suspects.

"I had no food. No water for about 11 hours straight," Olsen said.

The Sheriff's Department has not returned calls for comment. But Olsen's father says his family deserves to know what happened.

"I'm totally pro-law enforcement. But this one's just over the top," Steve Olsen said.

Kylee Olsen says she wants the arresting deputies to be disciplined.

"I really want a very, very, serious, serious apology," she said.