Valentina Orellana Peralta Obituary – California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the Los Angeles police officer who unintentionally shot and killed a 14-year-old girl at a Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood will not face criminal charges.
On December 23, 2021, Officer William Jones Jr. responded to reports of a possible active shooter situation at the store and fired three shots with a high-powered rifle.
Unfortunately, one of the shots struck an innocent bystander who was hiding in a changing room with her mother. The officer had been called to the department store due to reports of a man acting erratically and possibly armed.
Inside the store, Officer Jones encountered 24-year-old Daniel Elena-Lopez, who was standing near a woman covered in blood and holding something in his hands, which turned out to be a bike lock.
Officer Jones fired at Elena-Lopez, killing him, but one of the shots changed direction and hit the changing room wall where the 14-year-old girl and her mother were hiding. Tragically, the girl, Valentina Orellana-Peralta, died at the scene. The investigation conducted by the California Department of Justice concluded that there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Officer Jones.
This incident, which resulted in the accidental death of a young girl who had recently moved to Los Angeles, sparked national outrage and calls for the officer to be held criminally responsible. However, based on the DOJ’s investigation, no charges will be brought against the officer.
