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Manuela "Mona" Rodriguez

Gender : Female

Age : 18

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 09/27/2021

Location : Spring Street and Palo Verde Avenue

City : Long Beach

County : Los Angeles

State : California

Agency : Long Beach Unified School District

Officer(s) :Eddie Gonzalez

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by school safety officer during response to altercation near high school

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 09/27/2021, at approximately 3:15 p.m., Manuela "Mona" Rodriguez, 18, was involved in a physical altercation with a 15-year-old girl near Millikan High School in Long Beach, California. Long Beach Unified School District Safety Officer Eddie F. Gonzalez intervened in the fight.
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As Rodriguez entered the front passenger seat of a car driven by her boyfriend, with his 16-year-old brother in the back seat, Gonzalez approached the vehicle. As the car began to drive away, Gonzalez fired two shots into the vehicle, one of which struck Rodriguez in the back of the head. She was transported to a hospital and remained on life support until October 5, 2021, when she was pronounced dead.
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Investigation and Legal Proceedings:
The Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education terminated Gonzalez's employment, citing violation of the district's use-of-force policy, which prohibits shooting at moving vehicles. Gonzalez was subsequently charged with murder.
In April 2024, a mistrial was declared after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, with seven jurors voting to convict on the charge of murder and five voting to acquit. On August 20, 2024, Gonzalez pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter. On October 8, 2024, he was sentenced to three years in prison, with credit for time already served.
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Civil Settlement:
In April 2023, Rodriguez's family reached a $13 million settlement with the Long Beach Unified School District in a wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged negligent hiring and training of Gonzalez and violation of district policies.

SOURCE LINKS :

• https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/long-beach-safety-officer-sentenced-shooting-death-18-year-old-woman-near-millikan-high
• https://lbpost.com/news/mona-rodriguez-eddie-gonzalez-shooting-death-sentencing/
• https://abc7.com/post/mona-rodriguez-shooting-ex-long-beach-school-safety-officer-walks-free-after-being-sentenced-time-served/15406069/
• https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/family-of-mona-rodriguez-reaches-13m-settlement-with-school-district-in-shooting-death/3128754/
• https://www.foxla.com/news/mona-rodriguez-case-13m-settlement-announced-in-fatal-shooting-involving-long-beach-school-officer
• https://lbpost.com/news/crime/mona-rodriguez-settlement-13-million-lbusd-safety-officer
• https://people.com/crime/calif-teen-shot-dead-school-safety-officer-13m-settlement/
• https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/long-beach-family-awarded-13-million-settlement-for-fatal-school-resource-officer-shooting-mona-rodriguez/
• https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/mistrial-declared-in-shooting-death-of-young-mother-in-long-beach/3389999/
• https://lawandcrime.com/crime/family-of-teen-shot-by-school-resource-officer-announces-13-million-wrongful-death-settlement/