LOS ANGELES — A California man who spent 33 years in prison for attempted murder has been found not guilty and released, the Los Angeles County district attorney announced Thursday.
Daniel Saldana, 55, was convicted in 1990 of opening fire on a car containing six teenagers leaving a high school football game in Baldwin Park in East Los Angeles. Two students were injured but survived.
The attackers mistook the teens for gang members, authorities said.
Saldana was 22 years old at the time of the shooting and worked full time as a construction worker. He was one of three men charged with the attack. Convicted of six counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle, Saldana was sentenced to 45 years to life in state prison.
Saldana appeared with District Attorney George Gascón at a news conference announcing his exoneration on Thursday. He said that he was grateful to be released.
«It’s a struggle, every day waking up knowing you’re innocent and here I am locked in a cell, screaming for help,» Saldana said, according to the report. Southern California newsgroup.
“I am so happy that this day has come,” he added.
Gascón’s office began investigating after learning in February that another convicted shooter told authorities during a 2017 parole hearing that Saldana «was not involved in the shooting in any way and was not present during the incident.» said the prosecutor.
A former assistant district attorney was present at the hearing “but apparently did nothing” and did not share the exculpatory information with Saldana or his attorney as required, Gascón said.
That sent Saldana to another six years in prison before the prosecutor’s office reopened the case and found him not guilty, Gascón said.
The district attorney did not disclose other details of the case, but apologized to Saldana and her family.
“I know this will not bring back the decades you endured in prison,” he said. «But I hope our apology brings you a little comfort as you start your new life.»
Gascón added: «Not only is it a tragedy to put people in prison for a crime they did not commit, but every time an injustice of this magnitude occurs, the real perpetrators are still out there to commit other crimes.»