Former California school safety officer charged with murder in fatal shooting
Manuela "Mona" Rodriguez was shot when Eddie Gonzalez allegedly fired at a car she was in as it sped away after a fight.
A former California school safety officer has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old woman last month, the prosecutor said Wednesday.
Manuela "Mona" Rodriguez was shot on Sept. 27 when
Eddie Gonzalez, then a Long Beach school district safety officer, allegedly
fired at a car she was in.
Rodriguez was taken off life support a week later. She was
the mother of a 5-month-old boy, her family has said.
"We must hold accountable the people we have placed in
positions of trust to protect us,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George
Gascón said in a written statement.
Gonzalez, 51, is charged with one count of murder. It was
not immediately clear Wednesday evening if he had an attorney. He is scheduled
to be arraigned Friday, the district attorney's office said.
Long Beach police have said that Gonzalez was driving a
school safety vehicle near Millikan High School that afternoon when he came
across a fight between Rodriguez and a 15-year-old girl.
After Rodriguez and a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy
who were also involved got into a car, Gonzalez allegedly tried to stop the
vehicle and then fired his handgun.
Bystander video appeared to show the safety officer next to
the car. As the vehicle turned and sped away, Gonzalez allegedly fired.
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