Cesar Antonio Rodriguez: Killed by Long Beach Police Over $1.75 Train Fare

Updated September 16, 2024

September 6, 2021 ~ By Shari Rose  

Cesar Rodriguez was killed by an oncoming train in 2017 when a Long Beach police officer tackled and pinned him over the side of the Metro platform for failing to pay the fare

On August 29, 2017, Cesar Antonio Rodriguez was riding the Metro Blue Line when two Long Beach police officers began conducting a fare inspection on the train. The officers, Martin Ron and Francisco Vasquez, found that Rodriguez had not paid the $1.75 fare, and took him off the train at Wardlow Station.

When police began a search and seizure, Rodriguez took off. Officers tackled him on the platform, right next to the train tracks. The on the 23-year-old’s legs hung over the side of the platform while one of the officers tried to restrain him. Security footage from the oncoming train captured the moments before Rodriguez was struck.

The northbound train hit Rodriguez, pinning him between the vehicle and the platform. He was trapped there for 25 minutes until firefighters could free him. Cesar Rodriguez died after being taken to the hospital.

Long Beach Police Change Their Story About What Happened to Cesar Rodriguez

Rodriguez’s family says police did not notify them about their loved one’s death until September 2nd, four days after he was killed. They also said that Long Beach detectives told them different stories about what happened to Cesar. His family says one version of what police told them was that their loved one jumped in front of the train on purpose. Another story they heard from authorities is that those Long Beach officers had never searched Cesar in the first place.

Long Beach police sent out a 1-page long press release on August 30th that falsely said both Rodriguez and an officer fell onto the tracks. However, video taken of the Metro’s platform shows that only Rodriguez was on the tracks. The press release does not say that any officers were injured in his death.

• More stories: Eric Rivera: Shot to Death and Run Over by LAPD Car
• More stories: Carmelo Pizarro Jr: Running 22-Year-Old Shot to Death by LA Sheriffs 
• More stories: Police Killings of Latinos in Los Angeles: 2016 – 2021

Los Angeles Sheriffs Stop Rodriguez’s Family from Raising Money for Funeral Costs

A week or so after Cesar Antonio Rodriguez’s death, his family attempted to raise money for funeral costs by setting up a temporary taco stand on a sidewalk in East LA. Cesar’s sister and other female family members sold food for a few hours when two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies got in line. The women asked the deputies to leave, and the officers refused.

They called for backup, and arrested some of Rodriguez’s family members for not having a permit for the taco stand. Witnesses took video of officers intimidating these women while they stood on the sidewalk, some of whom were holding small children, and captured at least one young woman being arrested.

Lawsuit Filed Against Long Beach Police Department

In August 2018, Rodriguez’s mother, Rosa Moreno, filed a wrongful death suit against the city of Long Beach in the death of her 23-year-old son. The lawsuit says that officers involved knew that the train was coming, and pushed Rodriguez toward the tracks. Defense lawyers for the two officers argued that Rodriguez intentionally propelled himself toward the tracks to avoid arrest.

On March 30, 2020, a federal judge sent the wrongful death suit back to state court, which meant the family had to refile the case. Five months later, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office finally released a public report into the death of Cesar Antonio Rodriguez. It identifies the two officers involved with the killing as Martin Ron and Francisco Vasquez.

In the report, Ron contends that he found drugs on Rodriguez when performing a search and seizure. He further alleges that Rodriguez was trying to head for the oncoming train, and Ron was actually trying to save him. Again, the Metro’s video paints an entirely different reality of what actually happened.

As is the case for the vast majority of police killings in the city, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office found Martin Ron used reasonable force in the death of Cesar Antonio Rodriguez. No charges or reprimands for the officer-involved killing once again. 

In January 2020, the Long Beach Police Department promoted Martin Ron to sergeant for all the good work he’s contributed to the department. Such as costing the city of Long Beach $12.2 million in a wrongful death suit, which is exactly what Officer Ron did.

• More stories: Melyda Corado: Trader Joe’s Employee Killed After LAPD Fires Into Store
• More stories: David Coborubio: Killed in Nighttime Raid, Was Not the Target
• More stories: Daniel Canizales: Shot 16 Times by South Gate Police in 2019

Rodriguez’s Family Wins Wrongful Death Suit

In January 2023, jurors awarded the family of Cesar Antonio Rodriguez $12.2 million in the wrongful death of their loved one. According to one juror, the main deciding factor in the case was the fact that Martin Ron did not move Rodriguez to the center of the platform and out of harm’s way.

In total, Rodriguez’s family received $12,264,000 in damages, as well as an additional $6,000 for what his funeral had cost back in 2017. But this is bittersweet result for Cesar’s loved ones, as his mother’s attorney, Arnoldo Casillas, explained to the Long Beach Post.

“I keep repeating that, but to have the justice system announce to the world that their son, their brother was wrongfully killed by police, that’s the essence of what they wanted. That’s justice for them. The rest is secondary,” Casillas said.

This story is part of a larger project that looks at police killings of Latinos in Los Angeles.

• More stories: Nicholas Burgos: Hospital Patient Shot to Death by LASD in 2020
• More stories: Francisco Garcia: Motorist Killed by LASD Deputy Luke Liu
• More stories: Armando Garcia-Muro: Teen Killed by LA Sheriffs as They Shot a Dog