The son of a former Santa Clarita Valley law enforcement spokesman, who’s now facing murder charges, filed a $15 million lawsuit last month against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, alleging an assault six months prior to his arrest by the Indio Police Department on suspicion that he killed his parents.
Kevin James Reddy, a former longtime SCV resident and son of Art Reddy, past president of the L.A. County Professional Peace Officers Association, alleges the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for his ”permanent injury, false imprisonment, wrongful arrest” on Oct. 24, 2024.
Under the nature of the suit, Kevin Reddy checked the category labeled “assault, libel & slander.”
The cover sheet did not give any indication as to the nature of the assault alleged in Reddy’s complaint; Reddy was issued a civil case number for his incident, and now has 30 days to submit a complaint, according to court records. His case was assigned to the Eastern District based on where the allegation occurred.
Lt. Deirdre Vickers, public information officer with the Riverside Sheriff’s Office, said the agency was working on its response to the lawsuit as of this story’s publication.
Reddy also is requesting counsel be assigned for him due to his financial situation, which indicated the last year he filed a tax return was 2020, for several thousand dollars.
In a separate case filed in March of last year, Kevin Reddy is facing murder charges over the deaths of his parents, Art and Judith Reddy, both 84, who were brutally slain in their home in March 2025. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office has said it is pursuing the death penalty in its efforts to hold Kevin Reddy accountable for the allegations.
The Riverside DA’s Office did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment on his criminal proceedings.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office stated the cause of death for Art Reddy as homicide by shotgun wound to the torso; Judith’s death was attributed to blunt and sharp force cranio-cervical injuries, according to Angela Estelle, a senior clerk for Riverside County’s consolidated sheriff and coroner’s offices.
Kevin Reddy was arrested after a standoff with law enforcement officials in Riverside County.
In addition to murder, prosecutors charged Reddy with two additional counts at his arraignment: obstruction of justice, related to the standoff response when officers tried to question him; and a charge related to a previous conviction. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Media reports from the late-1980s and early 1990s include dozens of statements regarding drug investigations and operations provided by Art Reddy, who acted as a media liaison on countless incidents.
Art Reddy would go on to work at the national level for the L.A. County Professional Peace Officers Association, an advocacy group for law enforcement officials.
