A man who spent nearly three decades in prison after being wrongfully convicted of robbery, kidnapping, and sexual assault in 1996 has finally been exonerated, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
In 1995, Gerardo Cabanillas, who was 18 years old at the time, was arrested and subsequently convicted by a jury for crimes including second-degree robbery, kidnapping, rape, and sexual assault. Despite being innocent, he was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison, along with an additional term of 72 years and four months.
The case revolved around an armed robbery that occurred in January 1995, where a couple was targeted, and a woman was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in an abandoned house.
A few days after the incident, Cabanillas was arrested simply because he vaguely matched the description of the perpetrator, as per the California Innocence Project.
According to the California Innocence Project, detectives coerced Cabanillas into confessing to the crimes by promising him probation and immediate release if he complied. Despite initially denying his involvement, Cabanillas eventually confessed, only to be charged with 14 felony counts, including robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, rape, and sodomy.
Cabanillas and his attorney from the California Innocence Project submitted a request to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit, seeking a review of his case based on factual innocence. In December, after DNA evidence conclusively proved Cabanillas’ innocence, the California Innocence Project filed a petition for his release.
Following a comprehensive review and investigation of the trial evidence and new findings, the District Attorney’s Office lost confidence in Cabanillas’ convictions, according to Gascón.
Finally, on Thursday, Judge William C. Ryan vacated Cabanillas’ conviction and declared him factually innocent, leading to his release.
“Today, we acknowledge and rectify a severe injustice that has unjustly kept Mr. Cabanillas incarcerated for over 28 years,” said Gascón in a statement.
“After a thorough reexamination of the evidence and an extensive review of the case by my office’s Conviction Integrity Unit, it is evident that a grave error was made. I deeply apologize to Mr. Cabanillas for the miscarriage of justice and the failure of our criminal legal system.”
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