Family members of a 14-year-old girl said they are crushed after California prosecutors announced their decision not to pursue criminal charges against a Los Angeles Police Department officer in the deadly shooting of the teen who was struck by gunfire inside a changing room at a Burlington store in North Hollywood in 2021.
Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office concluded that no charges will be brought against the officer because he did not intend to kill her.
Valentina was killed Dec. 23, 2021 when she was shopping with her mother at the Victory Boulevard store. Valentina was trying on holiday dresses in a changing room when a bullet fired at an assault suspect by the officer ricocheted off the floor, went through a dressing room wall and struck the teen.
Valentina Orellana-Peralta’s family said their pursuit of justice was not ending.
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“This is a crushing and devastating response from the AG,” said Sennett Devermont, the family advocate. “This avoids all oversight all accountability that needs to be had.”
Devermont said Valentina’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the LAPD in continued pursuit for justice.
“This is a slap in their face for what is already a living nightmare,” Devermont said. “No family should have to go through this.”
Bonta’s office said in a statement that it was a “challenging” case for state investigators.
"This case was a particularly challenging one to process as this involved the loss of two lives," Bonta said in a statement. "Any loss of life is a tragedy, and my heart goes out especially to the family of Valentina Orellana Peralta, who tragically lost her life and whose only involvement in this incident was by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The California Department of Justice remains steadfast in our commitment to working together with all law enforcement partners to ensure an unbiased, transparent, and accountable legal system for every resident of California."
Police released body-camera video of the encounter inside the store. That footage included images showing the suspect attacking a woman, beating her with the bike lock as officers arrived.
The video also captured the sound of police gunfire as officers found the suspect, still with the cable lock in his hand. The injured suspect was taken into custody and died at the scene.
The video released by the LAPD included audio from a series of 911 calls. In one call, a store employee tells a dispatcher a suspect is in the store attacking people with a bike lock. In another, a woman reports the sound of shots being fired in the store, saying there's "a guy with a gun."
No gun was found at the scene.
