Morning Brief: Tragedy In Long Beach, Hot Temps, And A Trailblazing Felon

Good morning, L.A. It’s Sept. 30.

A tragic incident outside a Long Beach shopping center earlier this week left an 18-year-old mother without brain activity, according to her family. The details of the shooting still aren’t all in, but here’s what we know so far.

A little after 3 p.m., when students were getting out of school at nearby Millikan High, three people got out of a car and approached a 15-year-old female student who’d just left the campus, according to reports. Cell phone video of the incident, which has circulated online, appears to show the student moments later in a fight with Mona Rodriguez, 18, one of the people who emerged from the car.

A school security officer broke the fight up. When Rodriguez and the other two individuals got back into their car, the driver sped away and made a tight turn near the officer. In response, the officer pulled out his gun and fired on the vehicle. In the video, someone can be heard screaming after the shots are fired, and another voice says, “Oh, that’s a real gun … holy s**t.” 

One of the shots struck Rodriguez — police say she was hit in the back, but her family says she was hit in the head — ultimately leaving her on life support with no brain activity. Her family has said they don’t expect her to survive. 

Rodriguez is the mother of a five-month-old boy.

The name of the officer who fired on the car hasn’t been released yet, but they have reportedly been placed on leave. The shooting is being investigated by the Long Beach Police Department and the L.A. District Attorney's office, and Rodriguez’s family plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• The fatal shooting of an unarmed man in East L.A. by the California Highway Patrol is under investigation by the California Department of Justice.
• Temperatures are expected to get hot again, climbing 15 to 20 degrees throughout L.A.
• LAUSD has 27,000 fewer students enrolled this year than last year.
• Health workers who care for seniors and vulnerable people with disabilities in California must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 30.
• An independent citizens commission tasked with redistricting may be being influenced by people with partisan politics. 
• The Korean United Methodist Church in South L.A. was granted landmark status.

Before You Go ... Orange County's First Felon

A mugshot of Modesta Avila, who was tried, in 1889, for attempting to obstruct a train.

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Public Domain

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After her neighborhood was bisected by a railroad, Modesta Avila placed a railroad tie and a steel bar on a newly laid section of track, hoping to derail an express train. She tied a note to it demanding $10,000. The act made her a legend. It also made her Orange County's first felon.