The case of a 14-year-old girl killed by the LAPD inside a Burlington store goes to trial

In 2021, Valentina Orellana-Peralta and her mother went shopping at a Burlington store located in North Hollywood. As she was in the store's dressing room trying on clothes for Christmas, she was shot and killed by a Los Angeles Police Department officer. 

Over four years after her death, the trial proceedings in a lawsuit brought by Orellana-Peralta's parents against the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began this past Wednesday.

The lawsuit alleges wrongful death, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. 

It also alleges that LAPD failed to adequately train and supervise the responding officers, including officer Dorsey Jones Jr., who fired his rifle three times, killing Orellana-Peralta.

The incident happened two days before Christmas, when the LAPD responded to a 911 call about a man who was attacking women with a bike lock. 

The video of an officer’s body-worn camera shows armed officers walking through the store when Jones Jr fired his rifle at the suspect. He not only killed the man, but he also killed Orellana-Peralta when one of the shots went through the wall of the dressing room she was in. 

According to the lawsuit, Orellana-Peralta died in the arms of her mother, as several officers were seen walking into the dressing room, offering no aid. 

Her mother, Soldedad Peralta, was then ordered to exit the dressing room and wait outside without being provided any information regarding her daughter's condition. 

The lawsuit also claims that the LAPD failed to ensure bystanders were not in danger before opening fire. 

In cases like these, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is mandated to investigate all incidents of officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian in the state. 

The report released in 2024 stated that, after conducting a thorough investigation, the evidence did not show that Jones Jr. acted without the intent to defend himself and others from what he reasonably believed to be imminent death or serious bodily injury. Therefore, there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal state prosecution of the officer, the report stated. 

"This case was a particularly challenging one to process as this involved the loss of two lives,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. 

“Any loss of life is a tragedy, and my heart goes out especially to the family of Valentina Orellana-Peralta, who tragically lost her life and whose only involvement in this incident was by being at the wrong place at the wrong time…. Our hope for this report is to provide some understanding and aid in advancing towards a safer California for all."

However, the family, represented by Trial Lawyers for Justice, continues to demand justice for Orellana-Peralta.

“Valentina had her entire life in front of her and it was taken in an instant due to reckless decisions made by the very people who were sworn to protect her. She will never graduate from high school, celebrate another birthday or walk down the aisle and her parents are left to carry that loss every single day,” said Nick Rowley, lawyer and founder of Trial Lawyers for Justice. “The Orellana-Peralta family deserves justice, and we intend to hold LAPD fully accountable for taking an innocent young woman’s life.”

In 2022, former Chief Michel Moore, who led the LAPD at the time, determined that Jones inaccurately assessed the threat and declared his use of lethal force on the second and third shots out of policy. The Los Angeles Police Commission, the city's own civilian oversight body, also agreed.