CHEER BEHIND BARS; JAIL OFFERS HOLIDAY TRAPPINGS FOR FAMILIES.

Byline: Erin Gebroe Daily News Staff Writer

Holiday spirit brightened the Pitchess Detention Center on Sunday as relatives and friends coming to see inmates arrived to find Santa Claus, free hot chocolate and cookies, and presents for some 3,000 visiting children.

The Santa Clarita Valley-Newhall Optimist Club has run Santa's Magic for five years to offer donated toys and books to children whose jailed parents cannot buy them gifts during the holidays. Organizers also hope the festivities take away some of children's fears of visiting a jail.

And they do, said Marco Quintana of North Hills. He brought his son Ian, 5, to visit his other son. The decorations and activities act as a distraction, he said.

``When they come and see the Santa Claus, they forget everything,'' Quintana said.

That is the intention. ``We're here because the kids are the victims,'' said Dee Gadbury, who sits on the local Optimist club's board of directors and heads the club's Pacific Southwest region. ``They shouldn't have to spend a holiday being sad.''

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, a member of the board of trustees for the Optimist Youth Homes, changed his plans so he could go to the event, making this the first year the sheriff has attended. Baca took pictures with Frosty the Snowman and talked with visitors.

Baca also went to Pitchess Saturday to participate in the Talk Program, which teaches inmates how to be better fathers. There, he helped inmates pass out presents to their kids.

At Santa's Magic, children didn't necessarily get the presents they wanted. The man underneath the big red suit and long white beard, Mike Gadbury, said some children ask for things he can't give.

``All I want for Christmas is my dad,'' one child said to him. He answers carefully, giving an ambiguous response like, ``We'll see.''

Most, however, caught on to the cheerful atmosphere.

Thirteen-month-old Breana, bundled up in a white coat with leopard trim, jumped up and down to several Christmas songs.

Although she is too young to understand what was going on, ``she just likes the music because she likes to dance to it,'' said her mother, Angelych Aguilar, of West Hills. ``It shows the kids the love, and they get happy.''

Others, like 2-year-old Crystal, appeared more happy about the Christmas tree-shaped cookies.

Her mother, Monica Blyleven, appreciated the effort. ``I didn't know that the jail was this nice,'' she said.

That is what the Sheriff's Department wants people to know, said Deputy Dave Zuehlsdorf. ``It just gives us an opportunity to show another side of law enforcement.''

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PHOTO (Color) Sheriff Lee Baca, right, hands a present to 6-year-old Anthony Quijada during a holiday party Sunday at the Pitchess Detention Center.

Tom Mendoza/Daily News