‘I blame Gascón for all this,’ says mom of slain El Monte officer

Olga Garcia blames District Legal professional George Gascón for the dying of her son Officer Joseph Santana. 

“I blame Gascón for all this,” she mentioned. “He must go.” 

Santana and his accomplice Corporal Michael Paredes have been gunned down by 35-year-old Justin Flores Tuesday evening. Flores had an extended legal file and was on probation on the time of the shootout.

“He most likely acquired out due to Gascon letting all these criminals out,” Garcia mentioned. “It isn’t honest.”

Gascón’s workplace declined our request for an interview in regards to the plea deal however offered a written assertion:

“On the time the court docket sentenced him, Mr. Flores didn’t have a documented historical past of violence.” 

Below California’s three-strikes legislation, when you’ve got a strike you aren’t eligible for probation. 

“Mr. FLores ought to have been launched from custody,” mentioned Eric Siddall, Vice President of the Affiliation of Deputy District Attorneys. “He ought to’ve spent 32 months in state jail.” 

Siddall has criticized his boss over Particular Directive 20-08, which permits prosecutors to throw out a earlier conviction with regards to the prosecution of a three-strikes offender. 

In April, a Los Angeles Occasions evaluation discovered that Gascón’s workplace introduced fees in 58% of all felony circumstances in his 12 months in workplace in comparison with his predecessor Jackie Lacey’s 57% throughout her two phrases. 

Nevertheless, in misdemeanor circumstances, Gascon filed fees 43% of the time — half of Lacey’s 86%.

Gascón’s workplace mentioned that “skilled managers within the workplace reviewed the information of the case and the legal historical past of Mr. Flores and decided that his supply was on par with earlier administrations.”

“Below another regular administration, this man would’ve served 32 months in state jail due to the strike legislation, as a result of prior DA’s revered the legislation.”

Placing the authorized nuances of Flores’ case apart, sorrow has become anger for a grieving mom. 

“I hate him for what he did to those two officers,” Garcia mentioned. “They did not deserve this. They have been good folks with households and babies.”