California Jury Awards $21 Million to Family of Pregnant Teen Killed in 'Botched' Police Operation

A California jury has awarded the family of slain pregnant teen Elena Mondragon $21 million. Mondragon was only 16 back in 2017 when undercover police officers from the city of Fremont, California shot and killed her as they attempted to arrest her boyfriend on suspicion of armed robbery.

It was later found that Mondragon was in her first trimester of pregnancy. NBC News reported that Mondragon was a passenger in a BMW pulled out of a Hayward apartment complex.

An unmarked van filled with Fremont police has tried to cut off the BMW as they attempted to catch its driver, Mondragon's boyfriend, Rico Tiger. Police then opened fire and fatally wounded Mondragon.

Her family filed a civil rights and wrongful death complaint against the police officers. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the civil rights complaint described the killing as "a botched covert arrest operation."

California Jury Brings Justice to Bereaved Family

Her uncle, Miguel Minjares, spoke to KRON 4 in 2017 following Elena Mondragon's death. He said it was not the same, knowing she would not be there anymore, adding that the experience was hard.

But with the jury deciding to award a huge sum of money to the family, they have won a huge legal victory. In a statement to the press, John Burris, who represents Mondragon's family, described the verdict as "tremendous."

According to the lawyer, culpability in her death has been split between the car's driver and Fremont city officers. Therefore, the city of Fremont may be paying around half of the $21 million awarded to Mondragon's family, which would amount to around $10 million.

KRON 4 reported that Fremont officials did not respond to the decision. Burris also hoped that police departments across the country must "humble themselves" as the community demands that they do better.

Fremont Police Officers in California Allegedly Botched the Arrest, Leading to Teen's Death

The Mercury News reported that the man who drove the BMW, Rico Tiger, was wanted by police for several armed robberies.

At the time of the incident, Elena Mondragon and four other teenagers crammed into the vehicle, and she had no idea that Tiger was a wanted man.

As the BMW they were riding was exiting, Fremont police tried cutting the vehicle off with their unmarked van. Tiger reportedly panicked and tried to escape.

This was when the police opened fire but also accidentally hit Mondragon in the process. Reports stated that Mondragon suffered multiple wounds, with multiple bullets and shrapnel being found in her body.

The decision is one of the largest settlements linked to police. While Tiger was ordered to pay half of the money awarded, the city of Fremont still has to pay around $10 million on behalf of the police.

Melissa Nold, one of the family's attorneys, spoke to The Mercury News about the decision. She said the police underestimated the victim's family, did not think Mondragon mattered and thought the family would settle out of court.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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