Burbank Jury Weighs North Hollywood Burlington Shooting That Killed 14-Year-Old Girl

Family's wrongful-death lawsuit against LAPD, city, and store over 2021 incident that claimed Valentina Orellana-Peralta's life

Apr. 1, 2026 at 11:20pm

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Jury selection has begun in the family's wrongful-death lawsuit over the 2021 Burlington store shooting that killed 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta. The civil trial, held at the Burbank Courthouse, pits Valentina's parents against the City of Los Angeles, the LAPD, the officer who fired, and Burlington Stores. Family attorneys say the courtroom battle is an early shot at accountability after criminal prosecutors declined to file charges.

Why it matters

The civil trial will determine whether the city and the LAPD are liable for damages and could force testimony and documents about how officers were trained and deployed. The case arrives as the city faces an overspending gap of more than $208 million partly tied to legal settlements, underscoring the high stakes of the family's pursuit of accountability.

The details

Body-camera and store video show a suspect attacking a woman with a cable bike lock on the second floor before officers confronted him. Officer William Jones fired three times; investigators say one round ricocheted off the floor, passed through a wall and struck Valentina in a dressing room while she was with her mother. Valentina's parents filed a wrongful-death complaint in July 2022 alleging negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and failures to train and supervise.

  • Jury selection began on April 1, 2026.
  • The California Attorney General's Office announced on April 17, 2024 that it would not pursue criminal charges in the case.
  • The city's civilian Police Commission later concluded that the first shot was within policy while the second and third were out of policy.

The players

Valentina Orellana-Peralta

A 14-year-old girl who was killed by a stray LAPD bullet during the 2021 Burlington store shooting incident.

Soledad Peralta

Valentina's mother, who described the panic in the store and the aftermath, saying 'As I lay screaming for help, the police did not come to help me or my daughter, but I kept screaming.'

Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr.

The LAPD officer who fired three times, with one round striking and killing Valentina.

City of Los Angeles

The city named in the family's wrongful-death lawsuit.

LAPD

The Los Angeles Police Department named in the family's wrongful-death lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“As I lay screaming for help, the police did not come to help me or my daughter, but I kept screaming.”

— Soledad Peralta, Valentina's mother

What’s next

The civil trial will determine whether the city and the LAPD are liable for damages and could force testimony and documents about how officers were trained and deployed.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions around police use of force, accountability, and the pursuit of justice through civil litigation when criminal charges are not filed. The outcome could have significant implications for the city's budget and policing policies.