Public Safety
Jury convicts man in 2024 killing of Azusa High cheerleader
Jurors found Daniel Rodriguez guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Azusa High School student Angelina “Angel” Gonzales.
The jury reached its verdict Tuesday after about two hours of deliberations, according to reporting that cited the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Jurors also found true an allegation that Rodriguez used a knife during the crime.
Gonzales was killed on December 20, 2024, in Azusa. The district attorney’s original case announcement said the prosecution was handled by its Family Violence Division and the investigation involved Azusa police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Verdict: First-degree murder
Victim: Angelina “Angel” Gonzales, 17
Sentencing date: December 8, 2026
Possible sentence: Up to 26 years to life in state prison
Sentencing set for December
Rodriguez, now 20, is scheduled to return to a Pomona courtroom on December 8 for sentencing. The conviction resolves the question of guilt; the court will determine the sentence at that hearing.
Current reporting: NBC Los Angeles — October 14, 2026 →
Additional local reporting: MyNewsLA — October 13, 2026 →
Original case record: Los Angeles County District Attorney — December 24, 2024 →