Connor Mangseth was known for his sense of humor, desire to always help others, and unwavering loyalty. Connor was shot and killed at approximately 7pm Thursday, July 23, 2020. He was 18 years old.

At around 5pm, Connor went to the apartment of a long-time friend. Also there, was Gerardo Gonzalez (19) and a female neighbor of Gonzalez (16). Gonzalez was the owner of the gun and the sixteen year old girl fired the weapon. As of now, the minor is charged with second degree murder in the juvenile court system and the case is still in progress. However, the focus of this petition is the adult criminal case against Gerardo Gonzalez. The case is still sealed, but there are details that we can share and that the public must know.

Gerardo Gonzalez purchased handgun parts online to assemble a firearm himself, piece by piece. It is not legal for a 19 year old to possess a firearm of any sort according to California state law, much less for anyone to possess a "ghost gun": an untraceable and unregistered firearm, void of any serial number linking the weapon to the owner.  

After Connor was shot in the chest, Gonzalez did NOTHING to help Connor. He did not administer first aid. He did not get help. He did not call 911. Instead, he left the apartment to hide the loaded weapon in the bushes while Connor lay bleeding to death on the ground. What kind of a person does this? Also, Gonzalez contrived an alternate, false story involving others. TWENTY MINUTES elapsed before a 911 call was placed. 

It took authorities five days to find the loaded weapon, with no help from Gonzalez.  This could have resulted in another tragedy, as many children play in the courtyard where the LOADED gun lay hidden for FIVE days. This is yet another demonstration of his blatant disregard for the law and callousness for putting the public at risk.

The Gonzalez case is being investigated by the Violent Crimes Unit. He is being charged with felony child endangerment and felony accessory after the fact. However, a plea deal was negotiated by Deputy District Attorney Melissa Ocampo. The plea deal was arranged and finalized without prior notification or knowledge to the family or the detectives still actively working on the case. This is a direct violation of proper protocol and the family's rights. The investigation is still active and search warrants are still out. The detectives support us in opposing the plea deal and also support prosecuting Gonzalez to the fullest extent of the law.  

The justice system is continuing on with this hasty and unjust plea deal, despite the improprieties of the judicial procedures. Also noted is the fact that Gonzalez had an open felony robbery case, that according to DDA Ocampo, had been "resolved" as a part of this plea deal. Gonzalez shows a pattern of criminal behavior; 3 felonies within 6 months. It is very apparent that the actions and choices that Gerardo Gonzalez has made directly impacted the crime that resulted in Connor’s death. We believe that Gonzalez needs consequences stronger than probation. 

We are reaching out to the public to petition against the plea deal that allows Gonzalez to walk free with only three years of probation. The Gonzalez case is being prematurely rushed for unknown reasons; the case is still under investigation and search warrants are still out. 

We are asking that Judge Simmons rescind the plea deal, and to wait for the full investigation of this crime to be completed with full disclosure of all the evidence prior to judgment and sentencing of Gerardo Gonzalez.

As of now, our only recourse to fight this injustice are the media, this petition, and the victims' impact statements for the sentencing hearing on October 7th. Please help us raise awareness and garner support to stop this appalling injustice.

Thank you for your support, signatures and shares.

-The Mangseth Family

#justiceforconnor