LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan Monday vacated the convictions of Charlotte Pleytez and Lombardo Palacios, who had spent more than 17 years in prison for a 2007 murder in East Hollywood, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced Monday.
The office added new LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman praised the collaborative efforts that led to the exoneration.
The case originated on March 28, 2007, when Hector Luis Flores was fatally shot following a verbal altercation in a shopping center parking lot on Sunset Boulevard.
Eyewitness testimony and circumstantial evidence led to the 2009 first-degree murder convictions of Pleytez and Palacios, each sentenced to 50 years to life. The convictions were upheld on appeal.
“Our justice system must prioritize fairness and accuracy. This case underscores the importance of reviewing past cases to ensure justice is truly served,” stated DA Hochman, according to the LA District Attorney’s office.
The path to justice began in November 2022 when the DA’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) partnered with defense attorneys Ellen Eggers, Matt Lombard, Nicolas Tomas, and the California Innocence Advocates, according to the DA’s office.
Together, they uncovered evidence pointing to new suspects and casting doubt on the original investigation.
The LA District Attorney noted Attorney Tomas, who first championed the case while still in law school, said “Charlotte, Lombardo, their families, and the entire legal team are profoundly thankful to the CRU for providing a platform to present this case.”
The investigation was bolstered by the efforts of private investigator John Brown and attorney Rob Scroggie, who began working on behalf of Pleytez at her mother’s request. Over time, their findings, combined with the legal team’s persistence, brought crucial new evidence to light, reported on by the LA DA’s office.
The office explained Judge Ryan vacated the convictions and granted the release of Pleytez and Palacios in a hearing last Friday at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. The DA’s office plans to seek a formal finding of factual innocence in the near future.
While DA Hochman affirmed there was no misconduct by law enforcement or prosecutors at the time of the initial investigation, he emphasized that new evidence justified the decision to vacate convictions.
“This is a cause for celebration,” said defense attorney Lombard, “but we must also acknowledge the nearly two decades of unimaginable suffering endured by our clients,” reports the LA DA’s office.
Megan Baca of the California Innocence Advocates added, “We are heartened by DA Hochman’s commitment to correcting wrongful convictions, and his remarkable efforts to secure our clients’ immediate release, enabling Charlotte and Lombardo to spend their first Christmas in 17 years home with their families, where they’ve always belonged,” as reported by the LA DA’s office.
