The parents of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, the 14-year-old girl killed by a Los Angeles police officer’s stray bullet, are demanding justice for their daughter. Orellana-Peralta’s parents, who are represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, and her supporters gathered for a press conference on Tuesday (Dec. 28) in front of the Los Angeles police headquarters.
“We want justice for our daughter Valentina. We demand justice,” the girl’s parents said in a statement, read aloud by Crump. “If it was your baby girl, wouldn’t you demand justice too?”
As reported by REVOLT, Orellana-Peralta was shot and killed by officers who opened fire on 24-year-old assault suspect Daniel Elena Lopez inside a North Hollywood Burlington store last Thursday (Dec. 23). Surveillance footage from the store, which police released to the public on Monday (Dec. 27), showed Lopez attacking two women with a bike lock.
Police received 911 calls from several shoppers and store employees about the attack, including one person who claimed Lopez was armed. However, a gun was not found at the scene.
When police arrived and opened fire on the man, Orellana-Peralta and her mother were hiding in a dressing room. Tragically, one officer’s bullet pierced through the wall, killing the teenager. Both Orellana-Peralta and Lopez were pronounced dead at the scene.
On Tuesday, an attorney representing the girl’s mother said the family wants the LAPD to release all footage from the shooting and for the officer, who has not been identified, to be held accountable.
“There was no weapon. There was no active shooter, and so that may be multiple problems, whether it be a system failure, whether it be somebody who just shouldn’t have even been on the job,” attorney Rahul Ravipudi said.
A coalition of civil rights groups are also calling on Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón to charge the officer who fired the shot.
“Gascón has made a big promise [that] he’s gonna look at police misconduct, but especially the overuse of deadly force by the LAPD. This is a test for George Gascón, the first real test,” Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson said Tuesday.
According to officials, the officer who fired the shot is currently on paid leave pending a review.