October 8, 2024: Long Beach Safety Officer Sentenced in Shooting Death of 18 Year Old Woman Near Millikan High School

Eddie Gonzalez was sentenced to three years in prison in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Manuela Rodriguez in 2021

LONG BEACH, CA - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that a Long Beach Unified School safety officer, Eddie Gonzalez, was sentenced to three years in prison by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Goulafter he pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter in the death of 18-year-old Manuela Rodriguez. Rodriguez was shot as she left an altercation near Millikan High School in September 2021.

"Our hearts go out to Ms. Rodriguez's loved ones as a sentencing. No words can truly capture the pain of their loss, but we stand in solidarity with them as they navigate this difficult journey," District Attorney Gascón said. "The sentencing of the Mr. Eddie Gonzalez, a school safety officer, serves as a reminder that those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting our schools and communities must be held to the highest standards. I extend my gratitude to our office's Justice System Integrity Division and the trial prosecutors who worked diligently to achieve justice in this case."

On August 20, 2024, Eddie Francisco Gonzalez (DOB 12/22/69) pleaded no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter in case NA118308. The plea came after a mistrial was declared in April 2024, after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, with seven jurors voting to convict on the charge of murder and five voting to acquit. Prosecutors argued for a six-year prison term, however, the Court sentenced Gonzalez to three years.

On September 27, 2021, 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 that began leaving the scene. Gonzalez fired his handgun at the vehicle, striking Rodriguez in the head.

She was taken to a hospital where she died approximately a week later.

The case was prosecuted by the Justice System Integrity Division and investigated by the Long Beach Police Department.