Man Sentenced in Killing of Rookie California Police Officer

MONTEREY PARK, California -- An off-duty officer was fatally shot 17 days after graduating from the police academy in 2022, California officials say.

Gerardo Magallanes was given a 24-year, eight-month prison sentence in connection with the death of Monterey Park Police Officer Gardiel Solorio, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a Sept. 30 news release.

Magallanes, who is accused of providing the gun used in the fatal shooting, pleaded no contest “to one count of voluntary manslaughter with the admission of gang and gun allegations, and one count of the unlawful possession of a firearm,” prosecutors said.

Attorney information for Magallanes was not immediately available.

Solorio’s family addressed the court during Magallanes’ sentencing, Southern California News Group reported.

“To you, he was no one,” his older sister, Eva Solorio, said, the outlet reported. “To us, he was everything. … I lost more than a brother. I lost a piece of myself.”

Carlos Solorio said his brother “was stolen from us in the most cowardly way possible,” the outlet reported.

“Officer Solorio dedicated his life to serving and protecting his community, and his murder was a devastating loss to his family, his colleagues, and all of Los Angeles County and beyond,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochmansaid in the release.

Fatal shooting in mall parking lot

Solorio, who was a recent police academy graduate, parked outside Downey Landing Mall on Aug. 8, 2022, prosecutors said.

Magallanes, along with Carlos Delcid and a 17-year-old, followed Solorio to his parking spot, prosecutors said.

As Solorio was getting out of his Dodge Charger, Delcid approached with a gun and demanded the car, prosecutors said.

Solorio shifted gears, putting his car in reverse, in an attempt to escape, and Delcid shot Solorio five times, according to the district attorney’s office.

Magallanes did not leave the getaway car but later said he gave the gun to Delcid, prosecutors said.

After Solorio was shot, Delcid ran to the getaway car with Magallanes and the teenage driver, prosecutors said.

The three were arrested within a week of the fatal shooting, KABC reported.

‘He had a heart for service’

Solorio, who grew up in Bell Gardens, was 26 years old when he died, the city of Monterey Park said in a 2022 news release.

He attended California State University, Los Angeles, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, according to the city.

Solorio was hired as a police officer recruit in January 2022, the city said.

Solorio’s obituary says his longing to be a role model for his nephews drove him to want to be an officer, and he hoped “to make an impact on his community.”

Solorio graduated from the police academy on July 22, 2022, and died in a “senseless tragedy” 17 days later, the city said.

“Although his time with Monterey Park was short, we all knew from the moment we met him that he had a heart for service and was going to be a great police officer,” Police Chief Kelly Gordon said in the release. “We will always remember Officer Solorio.”

Years later, the department still remembers Solorio.

“Officer Solorio was more than an officer—he was a son, a brother, a friend, and a hero. His sacrifice continues to inspire all of us,” the department wrote in an Instagram post on the third anniversary of his death.

The minor pleaded no contest in connection with the shooting and got an 11-year prison sentence, prosecutors said.

Delcid, who faces life in prison if convicted, is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 7, prosecutors said.

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