With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Two Men Exonerated After Wrongfully Convicted In Culver City and Whittier Murders
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon stands by both Miguel Solorio, left, and Giovanni Hernandez, right, after announcing their exoneration and release. Solorio and Hernandez were wrongfully convicted for murders they did not commit.
(
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
/
Los Angeles County District ATtorney's Office
)
Two men who spent more than 20 years in prison for murders they did not commit in L.A. County have been exonerated, making it the fourth exoneration this year.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón on Wednesday announced the exoneration of Giovanni Hernandez, who was only 14 when he was falsely arrested for a Culver City drive-by shooting that killed 16-year-old Gary Ortiz in 2006.
Hernandez maintained his innocence and said he was home at the time of the shooting. His first trial ended in a hung jury in 2010. However, a jury convicted Hernandez of all charges in a second trial in 2012 and sentenced him 50 years to life.
The road to vindication would be drawn out.
Support for LAist comes from
The district attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit denied Hernandez's first conviction review claim in 2015. Attorney Marisa Harris of the Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic at Loyola Law School submitted again in 2021.
A Conviction Integrity Unit investigation analyzed new witnesses and cell phone records that confirmed Hernandez's alibi that he was at home and nowhere near the scene of the 2006 shooting.
"I was 14-years-old when I was arrested and the process and the system that put me in there definitely needs to change," Hernandez said. "I know we're heading in the right direction with this integrity unit."
Miguel Solorio was 19 when he was arrested for a 1998 drive-by shooting that killed an 82-year-old woman in Whittier. He also maintained his innocence, but was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole after witnesses misidentified him for his brother in a photo lineup.
“While it felt like it took no time at all to put me there, it took 25 years for me to get out," Solorio said. “Twenty-five years for justice to finally be served.”
After Solorio was rejected by the Innocence Project in 2014, he said he fell into a deep depression. He stopped eating and talking. He dropped from 196 to 119 pounds and was put on a feeding tube. But with support from his family he was able to persevere. He began to believe he would find his voice again.
Support for LAist comes from
Then in 2021, Solorio's attorney, Ellen Eggers, and the Northern California Innocence Project requested a review of the case. New witnesses came through corroborating Solorio's alibi that he was at home with his girlfriend at the time of the shooting. A judge set Solorio free in November. He celebrated Thanksgiving by eating tamales with 15 new members of his family.
"I gave each family member a huge hug," he said. "It was truly magical. Being with my family has been one of the highs of being free, but it has its ups and downs."
He's had to learn how to swipe a credit card and use an iPhone. He was overwhelmed by his many choices while shopping for shoes.
Gascón apologized to both men and called the wrongful convictions devastating. He credited the Conviction Integrity Unit for helping free two innocent men.
"Our job is to seek justice, wherever that might go, and if we made a mistake, we need to fix it," he said.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist