A man and a woman who spent more than 17 years in prison for an East Hollywood murder had their convictions vacated, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan also ordered the immediate release of Charlotte Pleytez and Lombardo Palacios who were imprisoned for the 2007 murder.

“I want to extend my deepest apologies to Ms. Pleytez and Mr. Palacios for the years of hardship they endured due to these wrongful convictions,” Hochman stated. “I also want to recognize the tragic loss of Hector Luis Flores and share my heartfelt condolences with his family. His death is a painful reminder of the heavy responsibility we bear to ensure justice not only holds the right people accountable but also honors the lives of victims and their families.”

Flores was fatally shot during a verbal altercation in a shopping center parking lot in the 5200 block of Sunset Boulevard on March 28, 2007.

Pleytez and Palacios were arrested following eyewitness identifications and other circumstantial evidence, the DA’s Office stated.

Palacios and Pleytez were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison but years later, the DA’s Office was asked to revisit the case.

“We are reluctant to say justice has been done, because the injustices our clients have suffered for nearly two decades are unfathomable, but this is definitely a cause for celebration,” said attorney Matt Lombard.

The District Attorney said that there was no evidence to suggest that law enforcement or prosecutors acted inappropriately during the case. “The request for relief in this case was based entirely on new evidence uncovered by the joint CRU and defense investigation,” Hochman stated.

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (KTLA) – Family, friends and colleagues gathered Sunday in Seal Beach to honor the life of Connor Lees, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department who died earlier this month during a recreational free dive.  

The Dec. 5 incident occurred when Lees, 29, and three other divers in their 20’s went for a free dive, which entails a person holding their breath for as long as they can while diving without scuba gear, in the waters off Long Beach, the Los Angeles Times reported.  

Long Beach Fire spokesperson Brian Fisk told The Times one of the men was presumably piloting the small watercraft while the others were free diving, adding that only two of the three returned from the dive.  

The three men called for emergency help just before 10 a.m., launching a multi-agency search with divers from the U.S. Coast Guard, LAFD, L.A. County Fire, LBPD and the L.A. Port Police.

More than 19 hours after the search began, officials made the difficult decision to transition from a search and rescue mission to a recovery mission.  

“The decision to transition operations to a recovery mission is not taken lightly,” LBFD said in a post to Instagram. “As we make this transition, our thoughts and prayers continue for the family of the missing diver and for our brothers and sisters at the Los Angeles City Fire Department.”  

Officials told The Times that investigators did not suspect foul play, and that Lees was believed to be lost at sea.  

Lees, who grew up in Seal Beach and was a six-year veteran of LAFD, was remembered Sunday night as something of an institution in the community, one whose untimely and tragic death has affected so many that knew him.  

Friends said the 29-year-old loved the ocean and the beach and that the place he grew up was the perfect spot to honor lasting memory.  

CARSON, Calif. (KTLA) – A small aircraft crash landed onto a golf course Sunday in Carson.  

Details are extremely limited and it’s unclear how the crash occurred, but officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department said crews responded to the Victoria Golf Course, located at 340 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. at around 3:45 p.m., on reports of the downed plane.  

In footage of the crash posted to the Citizen App the damaged aircraft, which appears to be upside down, can be seen beneath a low-lying limb of a nearby tree just off what a practice putting green.  

The area where the plane came to a stop had been cordoned off with yellow tape by deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who were also at the crash site.  

Not far away, debris from the crash, possibly a part that came off the aircraft, can be seen on the ground.  

The golf course did not appear closed for the investigation as golfers very near to the crash site continued playing even as first responders worked nearby.  

It’s unclear how many people were in the aircraft when it went down, but at least two people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, L.A. County Fire confirmed to KTLA.  

This story will be updated when additional details are made available.