Los Angeles, CA – In the afternoon of January 8, community organizations marched through North Hollywood to demand justice for Valentina Orellana-Peralta, a 14-year-old who was killed by LAPD officer William Dorsey Jones Jr.

On December 23, Orellana-Peralta was in a changing room with her mother at a Burlington store in North Hollywood when Jones Jr. and other LAPD officers arrived to detain Daniel Elena Lopez. Rather than de-escalate the situation, Jones Jr. immediately fired his military grade rifle and one bullet killed Daniel Elena Lopez while another pierced a wall and struck Orellana-Peralta who died in her mother’s arms.

Orellana-Peralta had just immigrated to the United States from Santiago, Chile six months before her death. Orellana-Peralta attended High Tech Los Angeles in Van Nuys, excelled in school despite being an English language learner, was interested in robotics, and dreamed of becoming an engineer.

On January 8, La Raza Unida Party, Centro CSO, and other organizations met outside the Burlington store on Victory Boulevard where Jones Jr. killed Orellana-Peralta and Lopez. After Ernesto Ayala of La Raza Unida Party kicked off the protest with some chants, protesters took over Laurel Canyon Boulevard while carrying banners demanding justice for Orellana-Peralta and for LAPD to stop killing Latinos.

The march then turned down Burbank Boulevard and rallied outside of LAPD’s North Hollywood station where they called for the firing and arrest of Jones Jr. Ernesto Ayala with La Raza Unida Party gave a speech and said, “If you go home without being a part of an organization then you’ve let them [police] win! They’re organized. Are you? We fight back by being organized!”

In his speech, Carlos Montes of Centro CSO explained the need to win real reforms and to bring LAPD and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department under community control. Montes said, “We fight and organize for systemic change while working for civilian/community control of police. We also support the family's demand that California Attorney General Rob Bonta prosecute LAPD killer cop Jones Jr.”

The injustice of Orellana-Peralta’s death has extended beyond Los Angeles, becoming a national and international story. On Monday, January 10, civil rights figures from across the country attended her funeral in Gardena. During Joe Biden’s congratulatory call to Gabriel Boric for winning the Chilean presidential elections, he offered condolences for Orellana-Peralta’s killing.

LAPD has placed Jones Jr. on paid administrative leave and the California Department of Justice is investigating the killing.

Plans for Centro CSO are to launch a grassroots campaign for a charter amendment that would give more power to the Civilian Oversight Commission and to potentially fire the LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva. To get involved, contact Centro CSO at (323) 943-2030, CentroCSO@gmail, or @CentroCSO on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #LAPD #ValentinaOrellanaPeralta

Los Angeles, CA – On December 23, 2021, the crowded North Hollywood Burlington store became the scene of two lives taken by LAPD. Daniel Elena Lopez was assaulting a woman, and 911 calls were placed by witnesses. One witness incorrectly reported that shots had been fired inside of the store. LAPD showed up to the scene. Police body cam video recently released shows the LAPD negligence and disregard for human lives.

Killer cop William Dorsey Jones, carrying a military grade assault rifle, saw Lopez 20 feet across an aisle, never ordered Lopez to do anything, and simply fired three shots at him. One missed, one killed Lopez, and the other easily pierced through a wall, killing 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta, who was on the other side of the wall. Peralta was hiding inside of a dressing room in fear, hugging her mother Soledad Peralta. Jones’ shot killed Valentine, who died in her mother’s arms. Peralta said at a press conference that her teen daughter started to convulse and went limp. In the LAPD body cam video, her mother’s screams are instantly heard after Jones fires.

Centro CSO, a Boyle Heights/East LA organization, joined forces outside of the Burlington store with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Justice X, and others for a press conference on December 28. LULAC initiated the press conference to shine a light on how LAPD has killed six unarmed residents – mostly Chicano and Latino – in the last weeks of 2021.

During the press conference, Sol Marquez with Centro CSO read a statement of solidarity and support to Valentina Orellana-Peralta’s family and loved ones. The statement was written by the Anti-Police Brutality Committee of CSO. Marquez said, “LAPD used reckless tactics causing the deaths of two people – one a child. This is the second time the LAPD has killed a 14-year-old in recent years. On August 9, 2016, two-time killer cop Eden Medina shot and killed 14-year-old Jesse Romero.”

Attorney Christian Contreras with Justice X talked about how LAPD expects no consequences for their negligence, in particular when their officer-involved-shootings are committed against Latinos or African Americans.

Orellana-Peralta’s family arrived from Chile only recently looking for a better life. The parents have retained an attorney and are demanding an independent investigation by the California Attorney General Rob Banta.

Centro CSO plans to continue demanding justice for all victims whose lives were claimed by LAPD and the LA sheriffs who both patrol certain sections of Los Angeles County. Plans are to amp public education via a grassroots campaign to push for an LA County charter amendment in 2022. The amendment would bring more power to the LA County Civilian Oversight Commission and create a procedure to allow impeachment and removal of LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The next CSO Anti-Police Brutality Committee meeting is Thursday, January 6 at 7 p.m. on Zoom (online). Please message them at any of the following for the link: 323-401-0433, CentroCSO@gmail.com, or @CentroCSO on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter.

#LosAngelesCA #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #ValentinaOrellanaPeralta