A Los Angeles Police Department officer will not face criminal charges for the 2021 shooting death of a 14-year-old girl inside a department store when police fired at a man suspected of assaulting a woman, California prosecutors announced on Wednesday.
Valentina Orellana-Peralta and her mother were huddled together praying in the dressing room of the Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood, California, when a man began attacking customers in the store on December 23, 2021, according to police.
When police arrived and confronted the suspect with gunfire, an officer’s bullet went through the wall and killed Valentina, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police also fatally shot 24-year-old suspect Daniel Elena-Lopez.
The California Department of Justice released a report on Wednesday outlining the results of its investigation into the shooting, which concluded that the officer who killed the teenager will not face criminal charges.
“The evidence is insufficient to prove that [the officer] committed a crime, so no criminal charges will be filed,” the California Department of Justice stated in its investigative report.
Greg Meyer, a law enforcement expert who reviewed the case, stated that there was insufficient time for the officer or any other officer to use de-escalation tactics in the situation. He described Valentina’s death as “a tragic but unforeseeable accident,” according to the report.
CNN has contacted the LAPD and the attorney representing Valentina’s family for comments.
“This case was particularly challenging to assess as it involved the loss of two lives,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Any loss of life is a tragedy, and my thoughts are especially with the family of Valentina Orellana Peralta, who tragically lost her life due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
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