A three-year term in state prison has been handed down to the Long Beach school police officer who shot and killed an eighteen-year-old mother in 2021 while she was a passenger in a car that was fleeing, according to reports released on Tuesday.
When faced with a voluntary manslaughter allegation in August, 54-year-old Eddie F. Gonzalez entered a plea of not guilty.
Even though a jury was unable to return a verdict earlier this year, the school officer was charged with murder.
When Gonzalez, a security guard at Millikan High School, saw Manuela “Mona” Rodriguez and another adolescent girl fighting, he allegedly broke them up. This led to the fatal shooting that occurred on September 27, 2021.
Rodriguez then got into a vehicle with Rafeul Chowdhury, the father of her 5-month-old son, and his brother, Shahriear Chowdhury, and as the vehicle was driving away, Gonzalez shot twice.
Rodriguez was hit in the back of the head, hospitalized and taken off life support eight days later.
“Our hearts go out to Ms. 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,” District Attorney Gascón stated in a news release. “The sentencing of 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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The school system consented to settle the case for $13 million with Rodriguez’s family.
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