A Hispanic man was released after spending 17 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced this Monday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan ordered the immediate release of Lombardo Palacios, who had been imprisoned for a murder that was committed in East Hollywood in 2007.
“Our justice system must be fair and accurateand this case highlights the critical importance of never resting until justice is done, reviewing even past cases with the utmost care to ensure that the correct and just result is reached,” Hochman said in a press release.
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Together with Palacios, Charlotte Pleytez was also releasedwho was also behind bars for the same crime.
Los Angeles County District Attorney extended his apologies to Palacios and Pleytez for the years of hardship that they had to endure in prison for these sentences.
“I also want to recognize the tragic loss of Héctor Luis Flores and share my sincere condolences with his family. “His death is a painful reminder of the great responsibility we have to ensure that justice not only holds the right people accountable, but also honors the lives of victims and their families,” Hochman added.
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On March 28, 2007, Flores died from a gunshot wound during a verbal altercation that occurred in the parking lot of a shopping center. in the 5200 block of Sunset Boulevard, in East Hollywood.
Palacios and Pleytez were arrested by authorities after the eyewitness identification and other circumstantial evidencethe prosecution said.
On October 6, 2009, both Palacios like Pleytez were convicted of first-degree murderfor which they received a sentence of between 50 years to life in prison. However, years later, the Los Angeles County prosecutor’s office was asked to review this case.
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Nicolás Tomas, who 17 years ago was the only lawyer for Palacios and Pleytez, submitted an initial request to the Prosecutor’s Office’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU). in November 2022 for the case to be reviewed.
Thomas discovered that Palacios and Pleytez’s claims of innocence were credibleso he began working to exonerate both. The collective investigation of the lawyers obtained new evidence that pointed to new suspects in relation to the Flores crime.
“We are reluctant to say that justice has been donebecause the injustices that our clients have suffered for almost two decades are unfathomable, but this is definitely cause for celebration,” said Pleytez’s attorney, Matt Lombard.
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Hochman assured that there was no evidence that could show that the police authorities or prosecutors may have acted inappropriately during the Flores homicide case.
“The request for exemption in this case was based entirely on new evidence discovered by the joint CRU-defense investigation,” Hochman said.
The prosecution provided a supplementary letter to the Court in support of the petition for habeas corpus and the releaseclarifying its position on the underlying investigation and prosecution and the reasons for the requested relief
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