Margie Carranza and her mother, Emma Hernandez, were delivering newspapers in their Toyota pickup truck in Torrance in the early hours of Feb. 7. Police were searching for fugitive Christopher Dorner at the time, and they believed the pickup truck belonged to Dorner, who had vowed revenge against the Los Angeles Police Department. The officers were guarding a home that night, spotted the blue truck and opened fire.
Hernandez was shot twice in the back, but survived. Carranza had a minor injury. The truck was destroyed. A few days later, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck promised to find them a truck.
"This is what they called a gratuitous promise," said Glen Jonas, the attorney for the women. "It has nothing to do with the settlement, it was just the right thing to do."
LAPD Commander Andrew Smith said the replacement doesn't come from city funds.
"This was done outside of that, this was done by the chief because he thinks it's the right thing to do," Smith said.
Jonas said they were offered a replacement vehicle, the same 7-year-old Toyota model that they drove, but it was used.
"That was not what was promised, not what was promoted in the press, and we will not be taking that vehicle," Jonas said.
Beck asked the owner of Galpin Ford, Bert Boeckmann, if he could help. Boeckmann offered a new 2013 Ford F-150.
"We'll give you that truck, we'll pay the tax, we'll pay the sales tax, we'll pay the license on the truck," Boeckmann said.
However, Boeckmann said he was informed the women would have to be liable for income tax because the truck would be considered a gift.
"That will never happen, we will not accept it, because it will create a tax burden of approximately $10,000 that my client can't afford to pay," Jonas said.
"I think we at Galpin try to be good citizens with what we give and what we do, and now we have this group coming out to demonize us," Boeckmann said.
Jonas said he will file a claim Friday if he doesn't hear from the LAPD soon regarding the replacement vehicle.
