[ad_1]
The daughter of a U.S. Army veteran who was killed outside his California home while gardening called for changes to local criminal justice policies that critics say have empowered criminals at the expense of victims.
Mario Morales-Moreno, 51, was killed April 4 at his Long Beach home when someone opened fire, hitting him and another victim, the Long Beach Police Department said.
Morales-Moreno was hit in the upper body and died at the scene. Another man was hit in the leg but survived. On Thursday, Morales-Moreno’s daughter, Fernanda Sandoval, remembered her father as a man of service as he called for change.
CALIFORNIA AGENTS SHOT AND KILLED A TEENAGE KIDNAPPING VICTIM WHILE SHE SURRENDERED: VIDEO
“While we appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers, what we really need is policy and change,” he said as Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón stood at his side. “Under our current policies, there are dangerous people who are released into public and reoffend. This is a vicious cycle.”
“In this case, the police have done their job and it is time for the judicial system and politicians to do theirs,” he added.
Investigators said the suspects fired several bullets, but they do not believe Morales-Moreno was the intended target. On Thursday, authorities announced the arrest of four suspects: Jordan Omarion Stokes, 18; Taylor Byron Woods and Tyrell DeShawn Louden Jr., both 20 years old; and Semaj Lamar O’Brien, 21.
The district attorney’s office said that “the murder was committed intentionally, deliberately and with premeditation” and that “Stokes and Louden Jr. personally used a gun.” During the arrests, authorities recovered multiple firearms and believe the shooting was gang-related.
All four suspects are charged with murder in the death of Morales-Moreno and the attempted murder of four other people in Long Beach. Each of them is being held on a separate $2 million bond.
“Gang-related violence has no place anywhere in our city, and this callous criminal act has forever changed the lives of Mr. Moreno’s family,” said Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish.
SAN BERNARDINO DEPUTY SHERIFF ARRESTED ON FELONY WEAPONS CHARGES, ACCUSED OF LINKS TO OUTLAWED MOTORCYCLE GANG
As the county’s top prosecutor, Gascón has enacted a series of criminal justice directives since taking office in 2020 that have drawn scorn from his opponents and many law enforcement officials, such as prohibiting prosecutors from attending parole hearings, promote cashless bail and efforts to end the prosecution of juveniles as adults, including for violent crimes.
Sandoval said Los Angeles County residents live in fear.
“We no longer feel safe in our homes. These current policies do not allow current victims of crime to feel justice,” he said without mentioning details.
Los Angeles County Prosecutor Jason Lustig, who has criticized Gascón, his boss, for his policies, said Sandoval was most likely alluding to Gascón in his comments.
“I think she was quite sophisticated and dignified because she knew exactly what she was saying,” he said. “She really could have held it in his face.”
Morales-Moreno worked for the suburb of La Mirada as a senior code enforcement specialist, the California Code Enforcement Officers Association said. She rejoined the city after leaving in 2014.
In a statement, La Mirada City Manager Jeff Boynton praised Morales-Moreno as someone who came to work with a “positive attitude, worked well with residents and her colleagues at City Hall, and represented La Mirada admirably.” “He especially enjoyed his leadership role with the City and enjoyed mentoring others in the City’s Department of Public Safety. Mario will be deeply missed.”
[ad_2]
