Two men exonerated after spending years in prison for 2000 murder in Downey

Two men have been exonerated years after they were wrongfully convicted for a murder that happened in Downey in 2000. 

Ronald Velasquez Jr. and Abraham Villalobos were convicted back in 2001 for the shooting death of Michael Roybal, who was shot and killed as he opened the door of the apartment that he was visiting on Deming Street in Downey, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. 

 A witness to the shooting positively identified Velasquez and Villalobes during a trial, despite initially saying that he could not see the gunmen. 

As such, Velasques was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison, while Villalobos was convicted of second-degree murder as an abettor to the crime and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. 

Villalobos was paroled in 2015, but according to the Loyola Law School's Project for the Innocent, he was immediately deported to Mexico and has since been unable to return to Los Angeles to see his family. 

Prosecutors say that Velasquez filed a conviction-review request with the DA's office in 2021, and new evidence pointed to a different man, Sergio Torres, as the gunman in the shooting. 

They say that Torres was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2001. 

In court on Wednesday, both Velasquez and Villalobos were declared factually innocent and Velasquez was released from custody. 

"Our commitment to seeking the truth is unwavering," said LA District Attorney George Gascón in a statement. "The exoneration of these two men serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability within our own office and throughout the justice system."