Ben Camacho

Erika Armenta, Angel Carrazco and Maria Martinez Garcia (left to right) at the press conference at Carrazco Law firm in Irvine yesterday. (Credit: Ben Camacho)

The family and estate of Noe Rodriguez moved towards filing lawsuits against the city of Santa Ana and Santa Ana police officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra for what the family called the “assassination” of Rodriguez. 

Erika Armenta, Rodriguez’s widow, and their daughters, ages seven and nine, filed a government claim with the city on April 10, 2025, which is the first step in pursuing a federal civil rights claim against a government entity. At a press conference today held at their attorneys’ law firm in Irvine, Carrazco Law, Armenta said, “Nothing guarantees us that there are no more of those officials at the [Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD)] – assassins – and that they still patrol our streets, they don’t give us reassurances.”

Attorney Angel Carrazco stated that two cases will be filed: one in state court claiming negligence and assault, the other in federal court for alleged civil rights violations.

“This is priceless, what happened to these two kids, but it’s going to be a large amount in the millions of dollars for what happened, and to make sure the family’s taken care of, especially the little girls,” said Carrazco.

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SAPD officer Luis Casillas' official department headshot photograph. Credit: nosecretpolice.net

Rodriguez was killed by Casillas and Ibarra on December 1, 2024, in a barrage of gunfire. Armenta and Rodriguez’s mother, Maria Martinez Garcia, stated that Rodriguez was having a mental breakdown when the incident occurred. 

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SAPD officer Isaac Ibarra's official department headshot photograph. Credit: nosecretpolice.net

Rodriguez was holding a toy gun, but residents called 911, stating that he appeared to have a shotgun or rifle, according to records and reports. Casillas and Ibarra responded to the scene and, per body-worn camera footage, gave Rodriguez at least three warnings in English, and then shot him approximately 32 times. Rodriguez was monolingual, according to his family, which points to why he did not respond to SAPD’s commands in English.

It is not clear if the apparent miscommunication may have violated department policy. SAPD Public Information Officer Natalie Garcia did not respond to a question regarding that.

SAPD policy 333 states, “...it is important that [officers] are able to effectively communicate the reason for a contact, the need for information and the meaning or consequences of any enforcement action.”

Casillas hung up the phone when CALÓ News reached out for comment. Ibarra and Casillas did not respond immediately to emailed questions, including whether they speak Spanish.

It is unclear if Casillas or Ibarra were removed from patrol after the incident, but on January 1, 2025, one month after killing Rodriguez, Casillas killed again. Then on June 9, Casillas is alleged to have beaten a child during an arrest, according to reports, the child and the mother of the child. 

“Prior conduct can come into a lawsuit and conduct afterwards can come into a lawsuit to show that tendency of how an officer reacts,” said Carrazco about Casillas, “It has a big impact because if some of that evidence comes in, it would definitely have a big impact on the jury because of his conduct – who he is and what he’s done.”

In November 2020, according to a fundraiser by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (SAPOA) and dozens of Venmo donations from others, including current and former SAPD officers, Ibarra collapsed while on duty and suffered two brain aneurysms and a brain arteriovenous malformation. 

SAPD spokesperson Natalie Garcia did not respond by deadline to a question regarding if the department ensured Ibarra was able to work after the medical conditions.

City spokesperson Paul Eakins said the city declines to answer questions about pending litigation.

Carrazco said the cases are only a couple of weeks away from being filed, but could be delayed by the California Attorney General’s (CA AG) office's ongoing investigation into the incident.

CA AG is investigating the incident because Rodriguez was unarmed when Casillas and Ibarra shot and killed him. Per state law, the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ), under the AG, is required to investigate police shootings of unarmed civilians. Whether the investigation finds criminal culpability on behalf of Casillas and Ibarra is up in the air – with not a single previous CA DOJ investigation under this state law finding other officers guilty since the law’s inception.

Since the incident, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) has organized protests calling for the arrest and jailing of Casillas and Ibarra and spoken out against the incident and other police violence at city council meetings, drawing the ire of SAPOA for their activism. CSO OC has supported Armenta in the aftermath of Rodriguez’s killing, they’ve both confirmed in previous statements. 

At the press conference, Armenta said she is seeking justice and that, to her, “justice is putting them in jail and that they don’t hurt the community anymore.”

“It was not an accident; shooting 32 times is not an accident. To me, that’s an assassination,” she added. 

 

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