A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of a former Riverside County sheriff’s deputy accused of murdering a romantic rival while he was on duty more than a decade ago.
Oscar Rodriguez fatally shot Luis Morin in the driveway of the Coachella home of Morin’s mother around 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2014. The deputy said he had traveled to the home alone to arrest Morin on an open warrant. The exact details of the confrontation preceding the shooting have long been a topic of debate, as prosecutors say Rodriguez ambushed Morin, whose mother, Maria Gomez, was only partially able to see the struggle unfolding in the evening’s dark.
Rodriguez was initially cleared by his department for the use of deadly force, in both criminal and administrative investigations. The department, which conducted its own investigations of shootings by deputies until 2020, determined that he acted legally and within department policy when he attempted the arrest and ultimately shot Morin, who he said was attempting to grab his firearm…