“I’m so happy”: Californian (55) was innocently imprisoned for 33 years

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Daniel Saldana was 22 years old when he was charged with seriously injuring two people in a shooting. Today he is 55 years old – and finally a free man. “It was a struggle waking up every day knowing you were innocently locked in a cell.” He had no resources and no money to take action, Saldana said.

“I’m just so glad this day has arrived,” he added at a press conference. The Los Angeles County District Attorney said Thursday that Saldana is innocent and will be released.

Attackers probably confused teenagers

He was convicted in 1990 of allegedly opening fire on a car carrying six teenagers in Baldwin Park, east of Los Angeles. Two students were injured but survived. The attackers then mistook the teens for gang members, authorities said.

Saldana was a young construction worker at the time and one of three men convicted in the incident – he was jailed for 45 years for attempted murder. He was never paroled because he never admitted his guilt during the hearings.

The perpetrator acquitted Saldana

Prosecutor George Gascón is the man who reopened the case. This comes after one of the other convicted men testified in February 2015 that Saldana was “in no way involved in the shooting and was not present at the incident”. However, this information was never shared with Saldana’s lawyers.

Gascón has now resumed the investigation, acquitted Saldana – and apologized to Saldana and his family. “I know this won’t bring back the decades you endured in prison. But I hope our apologies will give you some comfort as you start your new life.”

Source: Blick