A jury has found the city of Los Angeles not liable in the death of 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta, who was struck by a police officer's stray bullet during a shootout while Christmas shopping with her mother in 2021.
The verdict, delivered Thursday after a nearly monthlong trial, sided with the city by a 9-3 margin following just over a day of deliberations. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the girl's parents against the Los Angeles Police Department.
The Incident
On December 23, 2021, Valentina was at a Burlington store in the North Hollywood neighborhood when a bullet fired by Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. penetrated the dressing room wall and struck her. Jones had responded to reports of a man wielding a bike lock who attacked two women in the building. He fired his rifle three times, killing the man and fatally wounding Valentina.
Jones later told the LAPD's Use of Force Review Board that he mistook the bike lock for a gun and believed the man was standing in front of an exterior brick wall, unaware that the area contained women's dressing rooms. One of his bullets ricocheted off the ground and passed through the wall.
Legal and Administrative Findings
The lawsuit alleged wrongful death, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The jury found the city not negligent on all counts. Attorney Nick Rowley, representing the family, called the verdict "the most devastating loss of my career" in a video statement, expressing bewilderment at the decision.
Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto expressed sympathy for the family but stated the jury made the correct decision, adding that the officer will carry the burden of Valentina's death for many years.
Earlier reviews reached mixed conclusions. The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled in 2022 that Jones was justified in firing once but that his two subsequent shots violated policy. Then-Police Chief Michel Moore found all three shots unjustified. However, a report by the California Attorney General's office in April 2024 concluded that Jones acted with intent to defend himself from imminent danger and declined to file criminal charges.
The case highlights ongoing debates about police use of force and accountability in high-profile incidents involving bystanders.
