Why was Daniel Saldana arrested? California man serving 45 years to a life sentence in prison exonerated after serving 33 years

Now 55-year-old Daniel Saldana was convicted in 1990 of allegedly opening fire on a vehicle carrying six teenagers who were departing a high school football game in Baldwin Park, east of Los Angeles. On January 3, 1990, he was charged with one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle and six counts of attempted murder and was given a sentence of 45 years to life in state prison.

On May 25, 2023, the Los Angeles County district attorney ruled Daniel Saldana, who was in prison for 33 years, to be innocent and free.

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Los Angeles County DA apologized to Daniel Saldana

On October 27, 1989, Daniel Saldana, along with two others, allegedly opened fire at six high school students by mistaking them for gang members. During the shooting, two of the students were injured, but eventually recovered and survived.

At the time of the incident, Daniel was reportedly 22 years old and a full-time construction worker.

A news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office stated that during a parole hearing on August 31, 2017, it was revealed that Daniel was neither involved in the shooting in any capacity, nor in attendance during the incident.

NBC News reported that Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón apologized for the wrongful conviction to Daniel and his family. He said,

"I know that this won’t bring you back the decades you endured in prison. But I hope our apology brings some small comfort to you as you begin your new life."

Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office reported that at the end of February 2023, the Executive Officer of the Board of Parole Hearings presented a copy of the 2017 hearing transcript to the District Attorney’s Office, following which the office opened an investigation.

The Guardian reported that a former deputy district attorney attended the 2017 hearing but did not act accordingly and failed to share the exonerating information with Daniel or his attorney as he should have.

This mishap led to Daniel Saldana being imprisoned for an additional six years before the case was reopened, and he was declared innocent.

A full assessment of the case was carried out, including an investigation by District Attorney investigators working in collaboration with the Baldwin Park Police Department to look into new leads. After the investigation was complete, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office determined Daniel Saldana's exoneration.

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Daniel Saldana said he is grateful to be freed

The Southern California News Group reported that upon his exoneration, Daniel Saldana said:

"It's a struggle, every day waking up knowing you're innocent and here I am locked up in a cell, crying for help."

The Washington Post reported that on May 25, 2023, Daniel, who was dressed in a gray suit and accompanied by his family, was in tears as he embraced his loved ones upon being exonerated.

In a news release by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, DA Gascón said:

"Not only is it a tragedy to force people into prison for a crime they did not commit, every time an injustice of this magnitude takes place, the real people responsible are still out there to commit more crimes. Our job is to hold people accountable when they cause harm, but we also have to hold ourselves and the system accountable."

CBS Los Angeles reported that Daniel Saldana said,

"I just knew that one day this was going to come. I'm so grateful. I just thank God."

The Guardian reported that DA's office was still investigating the wrongful conviction and did not reveal other details of the case. The DA did not name the prosecutor responsible for the 2017 hearing but informed that the individual was no longer employed by the office.