Trending Now - Jury Rules LA Not Responsible for Teen's Death From Stray Bullet

WHO:

CNN - Valentina Orellana-Peralta, a 14-year-old girl.

CNN - Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. of the Los Angeles Police Department.

CNN - Nick Rowley, attorney for Orellana-Peralta's family.

CNN - Hydee Feldstein Soto, Los Angeles City Attorney.

CNN - Michel Moore, then-Police Chief of Los Angeles.

WHAT:

CNN - A jury found the city of Los Angeles not liable in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of Valentina Orellana-Peralta.

ABC News - The jury sided with the city 9-3 after deliberating for just over a day.

CNN - The lawsuit alleged wrongful death, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

CNN - Officer Jones fired his rifle three times during the incident, killing both the suspect and Orellana-Peralta.

WHERE:

CNN - The incident occurred at a Burlington store in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles.

WHEN:

CNN - The shooting incident took place on December 23, 2021.

CNN - The jury's ruling occurred after a nearly monthlong trial.

WHY:

CNN - Police responded to calls for help after a man wielding a bike lock attacked two women in the building.

CNN - Officer Jones mistook the bike lock for a gun and believed he was defending himself from imminent death or serious bodily injury.

HOW:

CNN - One of the bullets fired by Officer Jones ricocheted off the ground and went through the dressing room wall, hitting Orellana-Peralta.

CNN - The Los Angeles Police Commission ruled in 2022 that Jones was justified in firing once, but his two subsequent shots were out of policy.

(UPDATED May 8, 2026 05:45 UTC)

A jury has found the city of Los Angeles not liable in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta, siding with the city nine to three after just over a day of deliberation. The lawsuit stemmed from a shooting incident at a Burlington store in North Hollywood, where Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. fired his rifle three times, mistakenly believing he was defending himself from a man attacking two women with a bike lock; one of those bullets tragically struck Orellana-Peralta in a dressing room. The Los Angeles Police Commission previously ruled that while Jones was justified in firing once, his two additional shots were out of policy.