Imagine spending nearly 30 years in prison for a crime you did not commit.
That's exactly what happened to Gerardo Cabanillas of South Gate; he was just 18 years old when he confessed to a slew of heinous crimes, including rape and kidnapping, that he didn't commit.
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Records show, during a seven-hour interrogation, an attorney-less Cabanillas was promised to be released on probation if he admitted to the 1995 crimes.
However, once he agreed, Cabanillas was charged, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison.
Cabanillas maintained his innocence for decades, writing letters to the California Innocence Project, who took on his case in 2017.
The team had DNA evidence from the case tested, and it not only absolved Cabanillas of any wrongdoing but, according to L.A. DA George Gascon, matched a man currently in prison on murder, rape charges and another man they have not yet identified.
Cabanillas was released from prison in May, and just a few days ago, he was exonerated.
During a news conference Tuesday, Cabanillas stood silent at the Hall of Justice, choosing not to speak, but his attorney, Alissa Bjerkhoel, said it is fair to say he is pleased and thankful to be free.