Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that a Long Beach Unified School safety officer was charged today with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old.
“We must hold accountable the people we have placed in positions of trust to protect us,” District Attorney Gascón said. “That is especially true for the armed personnel we traditionally have relied upon to guard our children on their way to and from and at school.”
Eddie Gonzalez (dob 12/22/69) was charged in case NA118308 with one count of murder. His arraignment is expected to occur on Friday in Department S01 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Long Beach Branch.
On September 27, Gonzalez was patrolling an area near Millikan High School in Long Beach when he noticed an altercation between 18-year-old Manuela Rodriguez and a teenage girl.
Rodriguez got into the rear passenger seat of a nearby car. Gonzalez allegedly fired his handgun at the vehicle, striking Rodriguez.
She was taken to a hospital where she died approximately a week later.
The case remains under investigation by the Long Beach Police Department.
