Guardado Family attorney, Nicholas Yoka, has issued the following statement in response to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón’s determination to not criminally prosecute the deputy who fatally shot Andrés Guardado in June 2020.
“The Guardado family is deeply disappointed that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Miguel Vega will not be held criminally accountable for killing their son, Andrés.
Since Andrés’ death, Deputy Vega and his partner, Deputy Christopher Hernandez, have been stripped of their badges and federally indicted on charges of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice for an incident that occurred just weeks before they chased Andrés down an alleyway and shot him five times in the back. Sheriff’s Department officials knew these deputies were unfit to be on the streets, or serve our communities, yet they were not timely disciplined or removed from their positions. If the Sheriff’s Department had done so, Andrés would still be alive today. Miguel Vega and Christopher Hernandez should have never been in uniform, or on the street.
The family truly believes, regardless of the District Attorney’s decision, that Deputy Vega and Deputy Hernandez shot Andrés in the back for no justifiable reason. Cristobal and Elisa will forever be devastated by the loss of their son.”
In September 2020, Cristobal and Elisa Guardado filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the County of Los Angeles, and deputies Miguel Vega and Chris Hernandez, alleging the deputies used unreasonable and excessive force in fatally shooting their 18-year-old son.
Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorneys Adam Shea, Spencer Lucas, Nicholas Yoka, and Ryan Casey, who were honored to represent the family, obtained an $8 million settlement against the County last year.