LA County to pay $10 million to man imprisoned for 20 years

Los Angeles County will pay $10.1 million to a man who spent 20 years in prison before his murder conviction was overturned.

Supervisors voted Tuesday to settle a lawsuit filed by Francisco Carrillo Jr.

Carrillo was 16 when he was convicted of killing Donald Sarpy in a drive-by attack in Lynwood in 1991.

He was sentenced to life in prison.

However, witnesses who identified Carrillo as the gunman from a photo lineup recanted in 2011, saying they couldn’t see the killer’s face. A judge ruled that the eyewitness evidence was false or tainted and ordered Carrillo released.

Carrillo sued the Sheriff’s Department, contending that a deputy coerced a witness to pick Carrillo’s photo.

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