Ex-LBUSD officer sentenced to 3 years in killing of 18-year-old Mona Rodriguez, DA says
Eddie Gonzalez pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter in August as part of a deal with prosecutors.
A former Long Beach Unified School District safety officer was sentenced to three years in prison for the killing of 18-year-old Manuela “Mona” Rodriguez in 2021, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors say Eddie Gonzalez fatally shot Rodriguez as she left a fight between her and a teenage girl near Millikan High School on Sept. 27, 2021.
Video from that day shows Gonzalez helping break up the fight before approaching a gray car in a parking lot. He appeared to try to open its passenger door before the driver sped off.
Gonzalez responded by firing his gun at the car at least twice, according to the video.
One of the bullets struck Rodriguez in the head, according to authorities. She remained on life support for several days before she died.
After the shooting, Gonzalez was fired from his LBUSD job and was charged with murder the following month.
Nearly three years later, the trial began in the case against Gonzalez. In April, jurors were tasked with deciding whether Gonzalez’s actions were in self-defense, as he claimed he feared he’d be run over by the car despite being beside it.
Prosecutors argued during the trial that Gonzalez overstepped and escalated the situation when he shot at the vehicle from behind.
In the end, the jurors deadlocked 7-5, with the majority choosing to convict him of second-degree murder, while the rest leaned toward voluntary manslaughter.
Gonzalez’s case was on the cusp of being retried when he instead plead no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter in August.
Gonzalez faced a maximum sentence of six years in prison as part of the plea deal. According to the LADA, prosecutors argued for the the six-year prison term, but the court decided instead on three years.
In a press release Tuesday, District Attorney George Gascón said his heart goes out to Rodriguez's loved ones.
“No words can truly capture the pain of their loss, but we stand in solidarity with them as they navigate this difficult journey,” Gascón said. “The sentencing of the Mr. Eddie Gonzalez, a school safety officer, serves as a reminder that those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting our schools and communities must be held to the highest standards."
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