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LA County Coroner Releases Inquest Findings In Death Of Andres Guardado

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner Friday released the findings from the Nov. 30 inquest into the death of 18-year-old Andres Guardado.

The stated goal of the inquest was to determine the circumstances, manner and cause of Guardado's deaths.

Retired Justice Candace Cooper, the appointed hearing officer presiding over the inquest, listed five findings in her four-page report as follow:

  • The deceased is Andres Guardado Pineda (Mr. Guardado);
  • Mr. Guardado's date of death was June 18, 2020;
  • Mr. Guardado died in the driveway at 420 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90248 at approximately 18:01 hours (6:01 p.m.);
  • The medical cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds; and
  • The manner of death was by the hands of another person other than by accident.

Cooper said she came to those conclusions following the inquest and subsequent review of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department files delivered to her under seal that would not be released publicly.

Following the release of the findings, Guardado's family released the following statement through their attorneys:

"Justice Cooper has confirmed what we knew all along. We now call upon District Attorney Gascón to do what the Sheriff's Department has not, and that is to take action and hold these deputies accountable for their criminal actions. Andres was a good person with his whole life ahead of him. That life was violently taken from him, and we suffer the consequences as his killers remain free. Our family will not rest until we have justice for Andres."

Guardado, who was working as an informal security guard at a Gardena auto body shop, was fatally shot while running away from two deputies who alleged the teen was reaching for a gun, a characterization that has been denied by the teen's family.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva last month ordered the suspension of the deputies involved in the shooting — Miguel Vega and Chris Hernandez — due to an unrelated investigation into a traffic collision that happened in April 2020.

A video of the inquest proceedings can be viewed online.

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