The actions of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon's office has once again led to another resident being murdered by an individual who could have been in prison instead of on the streets.
Fox News National Correspondent Bill Melugin reports Stefen Sutherland was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon in 2020. The Los Angeles County Probation Department recommended Sutherland be sent to prison. Instead, he received a mental health diversion by Gascon's office.
Fast forward to this month, Sutherland has now been charged with shooting Jennifer Gomez, his upstairs neighbor, multiple times, seemingly over noise. The Los Angeles police found 19 shell casings at the scene of the crime.
EXCLUSIVE/THREAD: LAPD arrested a man for stabbing the neck of a construction worker, nearly killing him. Despite a prison recommendation from Probation Dept., LA DA @GeorgeGascon's admin agreed to give him diversion instead. He is now charged w/ murdering his neighbor last week. pic.twitter.com/Y61vnUmY4l
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 30, 2023
Sutherland is now charged with fatally shooting his upstairs neighbor, Jennifer Gomez, multiple times in her own apartment last Tuesday. LAPD found 19 shell casings at the scene. He previously confronted her abt noise.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 30, 2023
Gomez’s family has set up a GoFundMe.https://t.co/FkBMiNF9UP
In response to Melugin, Gascon's office said, "A court-appointed psychologist deemed him suitable for the treatment program, and our [prosecutor] agreed to the defense request for mental health diversion. The court approved the treatment plan and deemed the defendant safe for community treatment."
This is the second diversion gone wrong in LA story we’ve been tipped to recently. Last month, we reported on a woman w/ violent history of using knives in assaults who received multiple diversions - no prison time, then was arrested for stabbing murder. https://t.co/c7O7ozT2AX
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 30, 2023
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