California Man Was Freed After 33 Years In Prison After Declaring His Innocence Towards Attempted Murder Case

A California man who spent 33 years in prison in connection with attempted murder in 1990 has been declared innocent and freed, the Los Angeles County district attorney announced Thursday.

California Man Was Freed After 33 Years In Prison After Declaring His Innocence Towards Attempted Murder Case (PHOTO: The San Diego Union-Tribune)

California Man Was Freed After 33 Years In Prison

Daniel Saldana, 55 years old was convicted of attempted murder in 1990 after he opened fire on a car containing six teenagers who were leaving a high school football game in Baldwin Park, east of Los Angeles. Two students were wounded but survived.

ABC News said that the California man mistakenly mistook the teens for gang members, authorities claimed. He was 22 at the time of the shooting and worked as a construction worker. He was one of three men responsible for the attack. Saldana was sentenced to 45 years to life in state prison after being found guilty and charged with six counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle.

Thursday District Attorney George Gascón together with the California man Saldana appeared together at a press conference while his exoneration was being announced. Saldana said that he was grateful to be free.

The Southern California News Group shared his sentiments while he was still convicted of the struggles he face every day waking up knowing he is innocent yet he is locked up in prison for almost half of his life but finally, the day arrived that he was finally free. I’m just so happy this day came,” he stated.

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The California Man Was Found Innocent In 2017 But The Former District Attorney Did Not Do Anything!

In February, a convicted attacker informed authorities during a 2017 parole hearing that Saldana “was not involved in the shooting in any way and he was not present during the incident,” the DA said.  After learning the information Gascón’s office began to investigate Saldana’s case.

A former deputy district attorney was present during the parole hearing but did not do anything after witnessing the testimony and failed to share the exonerating information with Saldana or his attorney as required, Gascón said reported by AP News.

That resulted in Saldana spending an additional six years in prison before the DA’s office reopened the case and declared him innocent, Gascón said.

The district attorney didn’t disclose other information about the case but he apologized to Saldana and his family.

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