A state appeals court panel Thursday rejected a bid for re-sentencing by a gang member who was convicted of shooting at Los Angeles police officers outside a Hollenbeck apartment complex in July 2005, wounding one officer in the hand.
The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found that Rodrigo Perez — who is serving a 40-year-to-life state prison sentence — is ineligible for relief under a since-enacted state law that affects defendants in some murder and attempted murder cases.
Detectives identified Perez as the gunman following an investigation into the July 3, 2005, attack on a group of seven police officers and one civilian who were standing in a dimly lit parking lot, according to the appellate court panel’s 12-page ruling.
One officer was struck in the hand.
Perez was convicted of seven counts each of attempted murder of a peace officer and assault with a semiautomatic firearm on a peace officer and one count each of attempted murder involving the civilian, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and felony vandalism. Jurors found true allegations that Perez personally used a firearm and inflicted injury and that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang.
He was arrested by Los Angeles police in February 2006 and has remained behind bars since then.