Fernando Rojo Jr., a 26-year-old Latino, was killed in a drive-by shooting shortly after midnight on March 19, 2016, in the Vermont Square neighborhood of Los Angeles. Rojo and a group of friends were in the 1500 block of West 53rd Street when a white mid-sized SUV carrying several males stopped; one occupant asked Where you from? and then opened fire. Rojo and a 23-year-old Latino were struck; both were taken to a hospital, Rojo was pronounced dead and the 23-year-old survived. The assailants fled in the SUV and were believed to be gang-affiliated.

Investigators arrested Rudy Dominguez, who admitted membership in the 18th Street gang and was charged with Rojo’s murder, the attempted murder of five friends, and six counts of discharging a firearm from a vehicle; he was identified as the suspected getaway driver and faced life without parole. Rojo’s family later accused the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office of offering a seven-year plea deal, a claim the DA spokesperson denied. The office sought dismissal of special circumstance allegations twice and was denied.

What information might help clarify the sequence of legal decisions and the family’s concerns?