Wrongfully Convicted: He Lost 25 Years for a Crime He Didn’t Commit

In this powerful episode, Ray sits down with Miguel Salorio, who was wrongfully convicted and spent 25 years in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. Miguel shares his journey, the pain of losing years of his life, and what it has been like trying to rebuild after finally coming home. This is a conversation about injustice, survival, faith, and starting over.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Hey guys, welcome to Third Man in the Ring. I'm your host, Popeye Ray. You know what, guys? You know I don't have script or nothing, but I I really didn't even know how to. Let me give you a scenario. Who and your kids, you know, mom comes in and says, Who broke that base? And you know what? You got three, four siblings, brother, sister, like, man, uh, so and so did it. And and so-and-so gets in trouble, but he really didn't do it. You know what, guys? Who's ever been arrested or got a ticket and know you didn't break the law and still got convicted and had to pay a fine? Who's ever been arrested and just said, you know what, it wasn't me, and got out a couple weeks? You're just like, oh, stomping your feet. Miguel Salodio, 25 years in the state penitentiary, wrongfully convicted. Today we're gonna hear his testimony, guys, and we're so glad and we thank God that he came out. And you know, and I I just want you to give him a warm welcome. Miguel Salodio, thank you for thank you for inviting me and honored to be here today. I'm blessed to share my testimony. I I met Miguel at uh 24 Hour Fitness. Obviously, you could tell we work out, eh? You know, but but hey, Miguel, let's let's start. But uh, you're out now, thank God, you know. It's got a beautiful home, guys. Single man on top of that, ladies. But with that said, Miguel, tell us a little bit about right now what you're at now.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

What are you doing right now? At this moment, um, I'm going to college full-time. Um, I'm majoring on business management. Um, I've been trying to be an entrepreneur, how to like run my own business and get knowledge and wisdom. Um, I also have a side business that is called um Royal Express Rides. It's a party bus, it's an executive. That's my side business. I just started it um last month in December, and that's my little side job that I'm trying to do. And um on my free time, I just hit the gym, go hiking, and clear my mind and everything, you know, stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

So, Miguel, uh tell us tell the fans a little bit about where Miguel started.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Where were you born, how were you raised, you know? Okay, so I was born in Mexico, and um my mom came over here, and I came at the age of four years old. And I was raised in West LA. I got three older brothers and two older sisters, and I'm the youngest one. Oh, okay. And um, we were raised in West LA, but then uh my family were like in poverty, like literally poverty, cockroaches and uh and the houses and all that. But um if you don't mind me asking, how old are you right now? Um 46 years old at this moment. Still a young guy, yes, yes, yes. Thank you, thank you. Amen. Well go ahead, brother. And um, I guess uh finally my parents started working and uh we moved to Whittier, and uh we were living next in a small, little, a little bigger house. It was like a two-bedroom living room, a little more decent than the other one, because the other ones. All you huh? All you huh? Yeah, I think. It's what six, no? Huh? That's six total, no? Yeah, six, six of us, yeah. Exactly, six of us. And uh so it happened to be that um I started going to school and I I wanted to like do something with my life and everything. You know, I I was like those cockroaches actually inspired me not to live that poverty life, like to push myself, because dude, I remember when I was like five years old, I wake up like seven, eight o'clock at or eleven o'clock at night, and I was like seven years old, and I wake up hungry, my stomach growling, and I'll go to the refrigerator half empty, and all I there was is this uh can that's called lechetta. You know, for that thing is fire. I remember I just used to uh turn on the lights of the kitchen, but I'll have to wait because all those cockroaches were just stormy, you know, and I'll be like, dude, I don't want to crush them here in the little crunchy noise, you know. Wake all your brothers up, you know. So I'll just wait for a minute to for the cockroaches to sleep and get the lechetta, put in my hand, and I was just like, dude, that'll be my my thing. So we were like in poverty. And um, but anyways, long story short is that those cockroaches motivated me to push myself because I didn't want to live that life. And finally, my parents, um, we end up moving to another house in winter. My my I was raised by my stepdad and my mom. And we got a bigger house. My my mom um in Winter, we got like a four-bedroom house, two bath uh. I was like, dude, okay, we're we're we're gonna by little. And um back in the 90s, um, Microsoft was uh was a thing, you know. So I love my the computers. I was like, dude, you know what? I think this is gonna be like the future computers. So I was like, dude, I'm gonna And that's when they were like barely growing.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Yes, they were barely growing.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Exactly. Microsoft was in style, and I was like, you know what? I had like low vision. I was like, dude, I'm gonna graduate, go to college, um, work for business management because one day I'm gonna work in an office with a suit and tie and work my corporate So you obviously had your dreams already at that young age, huh? Yes, yes. Thanks to the cockroaches and the Microsoft guy, I was like, dude, I'm gonna like dress nice and do everything I can to work my corporate life, you know, work up, be my own boss or just be up there. And um sure enough, um, I end up um I'm the first one in my family to actually graduate high school. Class of 97, you know, so after graduation, I said, you know what, I'm gonna pursue my my little vision, my my what I want to pursue, my goals. So I went to college and um I was going to college and I I was a full-time student. I was majoring in business management because I'm trying to be an entrepreneur. So, so Miguel, you you were focused.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

I mean, Whitney's a tough town, bro. Yeah. Let's be honest, bro. Yes. No, no gang stuff, or or you know what I mean? Where were you staying focused on studies or were you still doing, you know, you know what? Let's be honest, you still do pin the house in the street.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

So what how my how I mentioned is that I was raised by a stepdad, right? And my mom, but my mom neglected me, you know. She always paid attention to my dad. And uh my stepdad used to abuse me, like literally whoop me for no reason, because my name is Miguel, and my dad's name is Miguel. So I felt like he had some kind of-brook he had some kind of chip like against me because it was my like I had to sing dad. And I understand when children need discipline, okay, discipline, but I didn't do nothing. I was like a quiet kid, like growing up, and he used to get the leather belt and just whoop me in so bad that I was like eight to ten years old, my my butt will be so purple I couldn't even sit down, you know. And um, you know, that that does a lot mentally. Yes, you know, and I'll be like, no, why am I getting why is he doing this? And my mom kind of went in, like, hey, what did he do? Let me discipline him. And you know, I didn't get I didn't get that affection growing up. So um my brother used to hang around with the wrong crowd, right? And little by little they used to come look for him, and I'd be like, Oh, he's not here, but I used to talk to him as a teenager. Me, I like to dance, you know, and you know, I was like 14, 15, I like to drink. I didn't do no drugs. I didn't I tried marijuana, but I don't like that. I was in my team, but I like to drink Bordweisers and like one or two beers and dance. Yeah, yeah. You know, so this crowd I used to hang around with, they're like, hey, you want to come out? Come come stop by, come chill with us. We're gonna have like a little kickback, we're gonna throw a little party, a little. So I was like, you know what? Might as well, because uh myself, like I mentioned, I'm a Twitter. I was kind of like like a loner. I really didn't have too much friends, which I didn't mind. So just wasn't your thing, huh? Yeah, you know, new person to the area. So I was like, dude, you know what? Let me just go go check out the parties, and you know, to me, I don't see it as a crime to go as a teenager. When teenagers want to go go party after, you know, and that's what I did, you know, drink beer, socialize with them, and dance. I love dancing. That's one thing I've been loving. Like you hear music, give me like one or two cellas, and you'll see me on the dance. Oh yeah, that's me. And I was like the floor, okay. Yeah, you know, even I had like a regular dancing partner, I'd be like, you want to dance, and we didn't find no one? Like, all right, that was my dancing partner, but um little by little I just started like they were giving me the affection that my mom and my stepdad didn't give me. You know, I felt like they were giving me something, and and I felt like more the hang hanging around with them, the more affection that, you know, because I was neglected by my mom and my stepdad abused me.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

So And at the moment, I'm just guessing, tell me if I'm wrong, we tend to, when we're not getting it from mom or dad, we tend to go who's giving it to us.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Exactly. You know, as a teenager, we want to be feel loved, you know. We don't want to be neglected, accepted, and at least by one of our parents. And I my mom didn't give me that, and I was raised by my stepdad, and I wasn't Where was dad at this time? My dad, uh my mom, she was living right there, but my mom, what she did is that she deprived me to see him. You know, so growing up, like growing up, I started like as I started getting older at 13, 14, I'll kind of meet him because he lived, didn't live too far, but my mom would be like, nah, I don't want you to his name is also Miguel, you know, but he didn't want me to uh get close to him. But once I got like like little by little I started like meeting him, and if you met my dad, he's one of the nicest men you could actually meet, you know. Is it is is dad still alive? No, uh fortunately sad to say, um, when this nightmare began, um he he was only 53 years old and he had an aneurysm, you know.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

So I was in the um Do you think it was partly to this this nightmare that started? You know, that I couldn't help it, I know that.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Exactly, you know, it brought too much stress and everything, and then um he was a kind of like a life support. The only way I could communicate with my dad, like because he'll be in bed and I'll hold his hand, and I found out a way to talk to communicate with him. So I told him, hey, um one, squeeze my hand is yes, and squeeze my hand twice if it's no. So every time I spoke to him because he couldn't talk, I asked him a question, and every time he answers, he's like yes once or you know, twice, and that's the way we're communicating. But when this nightmare happened, excuse me, when I got arrested, um, he ended up passing away and I couldn't attend his funeral. And that was like one of the worst uh messed up things that somebody could actually go through when you're wrongfully convicted. When you're wrongfully convicted, that'd be tomorrow, bro. That's adding uh how do they say salt to the wound, eh? Yeah, and you know, my dad, like, I remember every time I I'll go with them, like when I was a teenager, like 16, 17 years old, you know. I'd be like, Dad, I'm still in high school, like dad, um, could you um could you give me like 50 bucks or something? He's like, you know what? I got something for you. He had gonna, right? Well, for every ghana you get, I'll give you a dollar. So I'm like, dude, say no more. I got you. That's right. So I started plucking as much as ganas, as white hair as I can, out of his head, and he's like, all right, you got 70, here's 70 bucks. So he's like that, and you he could have a horrible day, and he, you know. Oh, yes. And that's one thing I I could tell people about my dad, like since he's he passed away, that he was one of the generous man, he'll like go that extra mile for you. And you know what, Miguel?

SPEAKER_01 11:29

I only know Miguel from weeks, if anything, but just the way you're you're explaining the way your dad was, I see it in you, bro. Thank you. I got a good positive, good positive. Uh when I heard your first your story, there wasn't a hate or anger. It was more like this happened and this is the way I'm gonna deal with it. So amen, bro.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

But with that said, so you so you get into your teenage days, let's scoot it up to uh you know, let's scoot it up to the day this incident happened. Okay, so it was December 6th of 1998. I was only 19 years old, and it was a Sunday, so at that time I was a full-time college at Mount San Antonio College at college. Taking care of business, taking care of business. Yeah, being busy trying to like stay trying to get my AA degree. At the same token, I was also working at a warehouse full-time, working like 40 to 55 hours a week. So my schedule was booked. I work Monday through Saturday and school Monday through Friday, so my only days off was Sunday. So at that time I had a girlfriend, and we're already dating for a while. Let me interrupt you again, bro.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

This is what you brag about to your kids. This is what you brag. Look at this man, man. Taking care of business that work schedule in itself, you know what I mean? This is what you brag about, and then for this to happen, man. Ah, I'm sorry, man.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Go ahead, bro. Yes, and um, it was a Sunday at the time. I was had a girlfriend. Um, I lived in Whitia and she lived in Balmood Park. And uh, you know, we we were dating, and it was a Sunday, so to keep the relationship like, because she was also a college student. I was so we had busy schedules, so not to neglect one another, um, she's like, hey babe, um, let's go go to the theaters. You know, it's a Sunday. I was like, yeah, let's do this. So she came to my house and her mom's station wagon. It was a great station wagon, you know, and she she got there and um we my mom had made some tosole, and she, my mom, you know, Mexican dishes, there's bomb. So um I remember um she always comes to my house and she goes, Hey, um, you guys always eat like this? I go, what do you mean? He goes, You guys always eat together as a family? I go, yeah, why? He goes, dude, I admire that a lot because my family, we don't we don't do stuff like that. I go, yeah, we were waiting for you. We're all sitting in the table waiting for her to come and eat with us, you know, because we're the type that we're not gonna leave, we're not gonna eat without you. We're gonna we're gonna eat together.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

You're that lady very family oriented.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Yes, you know, it's like if I'm gonna eat, I can't like be eating and you right there, that's like being rude. I'll be like, I'm gonna invite you. So, anyways, we were eating that day and um Posoli and she's making checking um to go to Wiggerville Cinemas uh uh theater in Uptown Wiggily. So she makes calls and it's already kind of like 7:30. She goes, Hey babe, um, we're gonna go watch the movie Cycle. Starts at um 7.45. Hurry up, get dressed, so we go head out. Like, oh shoot. So I got dressed real quick. And um, we got in her mom's um station wagon, and it was just a couple minutes down the street from my house, and um, I ended up taking um three Budweisers, you know, to make the movie interesting. You know, it's not like nowadays where you could just buy your beer and her so me, I snuck in three beers, she um paid for the tickets. We're in there watching, we got there like around 8, 8:15, and uh we're watching the movie, but 45 minutes into this, I'm drinking my beers, and this movie's just like so boring. I'm watching it's like about a woman being paranoid. I was like, Well, where's that action? You know, even with the with the beers, they weren't doing no trust with this movie. So I told her, hey, this movie's boring, like let's let's let's leave, you know. I was like, I'm not even enjoying it. She goes, Well, since I paid um, I'm gonna get my refund. I was like, sure, let's go. So we walked out of the theater, and it was like, you know, it was December, and we talked to the manager, and she she goes, excuse me, um, like his name was John Murray, excuse me. Um, we want to get our money back. He goes, Well, two things. First of all, you guys were already watching the movie for a while, but you know, but yet we I've been having a lot of complaints about that movie. But what I could do is I could give you two free step tickets. And I at that time, I was like, What is step tickets? I don't know what that is. He goes, Well, you know what? It's to watch two movies whenever you want. So I was like, dude, that's that's a bargaining deal. So we took that offer and we're about to go cruise with her boulevard, right? But she goes, hey, uh, let's go get seconds, we'll go get some more pozole. And she's driving off passenger. I was like, you know what? Sounds like a good idea. We got to my house at around 10 o'clock, and um, we got to my house, but sad to say that there was no more pozole, you know. When we cherry thing, there was a big old oil like that, like a big old thing, and it was gone. So my mom comes out of the room and she's like, hey, um, everyone's having a gathering at your mom's house, uh, your sister's house in Pico Rivera. You guys want to go? And I told my girlfriend, hey, you want to go? She goes, Yeah, there's nothing else until let's go. It's a Sunday. So we got there from we left my house like around 10:15. It's just in Pico Rivera, next City Over. We got there like around 10:30. And um, we stood there from 10:30. I said my highs to everybody, to the family. I stood there until midnight, and I happened to be that during that time there was a murder that happened at 11 o'clock in Winter, which I had no idea what's going on. But once 12 o'clock hit, I was told my girlfriend, like, hey, it's getting kind of late. I want to kind of go home because I got a busy schedule full plate tomorrow. You know, I go to school, I I gotta wake up super early to get my day started. So I said my, she's like, all right, I'll drop you off. And I said my goodbyes to everybody, and she dropped me off, you know. And back then, back in the 90s, it was a pagers, you know, the beaver area. So I told her, hey, uh, because I was concerned about her driving, I'll go, you know what? Um page me as soon as you get home. So she she's like, sure. So she takes off in like not even 15 minutes. I get a page and I call her up. Hey, did you get make it home? She goes, Yeah. Well, I'm just making sure you got home safe. I was just concerned. And I thought I was gonna just say, okay, I love you, good night. But I guess it was one of those conversations, like, no, you we stood up until 2 o'clock in the morning talking. And it was one of those conversations, like, no, you hang up first. No, you hang up. So I was like, you know what? Let's hang up with the same. Yeah. So I was like, you know what, let's hang up at the same time. So we did, and um, that was the what I did that Sunday, and like three days later, um, I'm getting that my day started. It's Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were like my busiest days with college and work. And it was a Wednesday morning. I woke up, I was already awake by seven, you know, already getting ready, and I hear a knock at the door. I'm like, what the hell? And I look out my window and I could see a bunch of cop sherries right there, like surrounding my house. What the helicopter? I'm like, what the heck is going on here? So I opened the door and they're already pointing the guns. Hey, uh, what's your name? I'll go, my name is Because Lawyer. Oh, we got a search warrant for uh and everything. I'm like, what the hell? And they started reading my Miranda rights. You got the right to remain signing, everything you say will be used against the court of law. You got the right for an attorney. I was like, dude, what the hell? And they handcuffed me and they took me to the police station. I was like, nope, nobody was home with you? Yeah, there was family kind of right there at the house, and they're like, my mom was there, and she's all like, I was like, what the heck is going on? And you know, but they rushed me to the um police station, and I was like, I don't know what's going on, but that they read me my Miranda rights, and I was like, you know what? I don't need no attorney because I don't know what's going on. I'm gonna share the story, and the same story I just shared with you. I go, This is what I did. I did with my girlfriend. You know, I was with her, I was in a whole different situation. I don't know what at that time, still I didn't know what's going on. But my girlfriend ends up going to the police station, and they're like, Who are you? Because she's like, Hey, how come you guys arrest my boyfriend? I was like, Well, who are you? Well, that he's my boyfriend. So they I was like, Well, come here, and they end up on the detective put an audio tape. Well, so what you guys do on Sunday? And they recorded, and she said the same thing with the theaters. This is it, whatever you guys accusing my boyfriend. He had no involvement, you know. I could testify, whatever, but we uh he we didn't do nothing, so I'm here to to clarify. And and she said the same story that I said the same story.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

And and and and at this time, Miguel, try to think back. You're thinking, ah, this is just gonna go well, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

You know, so sure enough, um you're gonna laugh about maybe tomorrow, you know. Yeah, so they raped my house and everything, they didn't find no weapons, and I guess it was a drive-by shooting that killed an innocent bystander. And I guess six witnesses seen that and they showed a photo lineup, a photo array. It's um six pictures, you know. Um explain that to them. It's six pictures of six different um could possibly be suspects in the picture. And I was in picture number four, and they showed uh to the six witnesses of the photo array which I'm in, they showed each one of them. Each one of them did not identify me. I did not know this until later down the line, until 2021. And anyways, they end up selecting someone else in photo number two, you know. Anyways, um, the cop they didn't have do you know who fo did you ever see photo number two? No, no, I didn't even know that they ended up picking someone else. I didn't even I I didn't even know that they ended up showing up a photo lineup on me at that time. I just knew like, okay, I was just being questioned, and I'm sitting in the sitting in the holding tank, like, okay, what's gonna happen? And finally, after 72 hours, if they have nothing against you, no, no evidence against in your house or against you, they have to release you within 72 hours. So the cop goes, you know, um, his name is um Dan McEldery. You know, he goes, he was the one investigating the homicide from Pico Rivera Sherry's. He goes, Miguel, I know you had nothing to do with it. Here's my card. Go find out who did it. Because if you don't find out, I'm gonna come after you whether you did it or not. And I was like, he already framed me from right that spit second. I was like, first of all, I was like, what the heck? What like I like, dude. First of all, I have no knowledge what's going on. Second of all, that's not my job. That's your job. Like to go do it. Like, why are you gonna try to put me in a predicament like that? But I had no idea what's going on. So I was like, I took his car and I was like, my mind, like, dude, you gotta do that doing the investigation. So when I get out the police station from Pico Rivera, there's the media right there recording me and meeting newspaper, and they humiliated me with my mugshot in the news in the Wheeler Daily newspaper saying possibly suspect released from this homicide. Could you just imagine?

SPEAKER_01 21:43

And and and let's say the reason they're blowing up this homicide is because it was an innocent victim, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:50

Exactly, you know, and I'm not knowing what's going on, and they're portraying me. Imagine portraying like your mugshot, anybody, someone you know, your loved one, and just say. Possibly suspect for you from your community of release from the desk. And like how I felt like, dude, with my face up there, I was already humiliated by the newspaper, putting myself like I'm some kind of suspect, some kind of killer, whatever they're trying to portray me. I'm like, dude, I don't know why you guys are doing this. Long story short, um, ten days later, I didn't end up calling this the detective. No, because I have no, I have no knowledge of what's going on. I can't assist. I can't, there's nothing I could do. Between these 10 days, did you seek an attorney? Um, no. So um what happened was that um when I got out, um, it was a Friday, because it they won't even help me, but and I told my girlfriend, hey, let's go to um Upton Way, let's go to Witter Village Cinemas, let's go retrieve that uh uh the surveillance tape. We need that to to show credibility that what I've been we've been saying that's the truth. So we um she goes, you know what, babe, um let's do it on Sunday. So I was like, alright. So um she picks me up, we go on her mom's station wagon again, and we go to up um Witterbridge Cinemas and we talk to John Murray, excuse me, um, we need a surveillance tape, and he's like, What's for? And I goes, for this is important, and I explained so it's regarding a murder that's trying to accuse me of something I didn't do. You know, he goes, you know what? I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the the audio tape is which is back then VHS. Because the audio, the VHS rewinds every 72 hours, and it's already been a week. Yeah, he goes, but the good news is that I do remember you guys. I remember your girlfriend with the long hair, and what I could do.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

That's right, he's a witness.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

Yeah, he goes, what I could do is like you guys got your step tickets. I go, yeah. My girlfriend got the two step tickets and handed to him. He goes, These are the tickets you gave us to come watch out because we didn't like the movie. He goes, I do remember you guys complaining about the movie. Here's my and he got the step tickets, and behind the ticket, he goes, Here's my name, here's my home office and your um my cell phone. Oh no, my home, my work office and my home office from the theater. He goes, How some your attorney call me? I'm like, all right, cool. And um at that time, I was like, okay. So we we left, and 10 days later, um the detective calls my house and talks to one of my relatives and then tells um one of my brothers, one of my relatives says, Tell your brother that I'm coming after him for not calling him. So he already made a threat because I'm not calling or doing none of none of his dirty work because I have no knowledge, you know. So then afterwards, um sure enough, um, two months, uh, three months later, I guess, two months later to this investigation. Well, a month later, they showed a photo lineup again to the six witnesses because you know how it came out in the newspaper. So they showed a photo lineup, and four of them still saying it's not me, but two of them decided to change their mind. One of them um he was uh ended up picking me because he was being coerced by the cops because he's a pedophile. He ended up um saying that it was me because and then the other person had another felony, and then he was she was working with the cop, like trying to because she had a felony and she was being coerced. And um, long story short, um they showed us a six-pack, and the female um she ended up circling my picture. I was in a different picture, but I'm gonna call what she says. I'll go it's 75% is him. Now I'm gonna call what she says, but the actual suspect has big ears and mustache, you know. At that time, you can see my picture. I couldn't even grow no mustache, like on Tfas, I couldn't even get no peach bus. Yeah, and I don't can't even grow beard still to this day. I could barely grow anything, you know. So she still had doubt, but she was being coerced by the cops. So, due to those allegations right there, three months later, March 25th of 1999, three months after I was out, they come back again and they re-arrested me, and I was like, Well, I I'm gonna beat this. I have no knowledge, but that was my mindset. Like, I'm I didn't do nothing, I'm innocent. And so they they kept me, they're re-arresting me March 25th, and that's when my my my life changed, you know, that my life was just a nightmare from that moment around.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

And during those three months, you pretty much said it wasn't me. I got the ticket stubbed, I got the the theater supervisor um uh manager saying I was there. Everything was like all your ducks were in line, I think. So you thought nothing of it, you know. But so they come back and arrest you. Yeah, they they send you how old are you mind?

SPEAKER_00 26:35

I was I was still night, I was 19 years old, you know, and I'm county jail, and I'm I don't know nothing, I'm skinny little guy. Let let because I know some of the fans are were you a gang member?

SPEAKER_01 26:49

I was I was socialize with the wrong crowd, yes. Okay, because some of us haters, some of those haters are gonna come out while he was a gang member. But you know what? Not every gang member is an active gang member. And you and you know what active is coming in prison, you know what an active is and what somebody just being a gang member. So the as far as the cops, obviously, obviously they got everything that they could work off of. Yes, you know what I mean? Uh I know a few stories of wrongfully convicted people, you know, because I knew of the crime, you know. Whether you feel I should have said something or not, that's a whole nother thing. So, you're sitting in the county jail.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Are you still thinking you're gonna beat this? Yes, in my mind, I was like, I there's no way I'm gonna get convicted. I got this, you know, I got my aliba, I got my girlfriend. No attorney yet? Uh once I got arrested, uh I did get an attorney. I was like, okay, so I ended up um getting this, and my family scraped up some money. This attorney, um, his name was Edwards Gedda. And um, we hired him, he wanted$30,000. And the 90s, and you know, we're pretty maintaining that's a whole lot of money.

SPEAKER_01 27:57

It's like 80,000 now.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Yes, and not knowing at that time I didn't do too much research about him, you know, and um he was uh not knowing that he was an ex-sergeant from the rampart division, not knowing, you know. So me, I ended up getting him and I'm explaining to him, like, hey, I didn't do this, you know, here my girlfriend could, you know, could that's my alibi. And she shared the same thing to him to him. And then, anyways, long story short, um, when it was time for trial, um, you know, it took me a whole year to find for my trial to get. But at the beginning, I was like, you know, she got I was telling my child gets the step tickets, go interview that manager, go do investigate these witnesses. I didn't do nothing. You know, when we took the stand, like, I'm always gonna share something disgusting with this man, attorney Edward Skella, did to me. So we're at trial a year later, right? I'm in my suit, I'm sitting in the chair, you know, the the judge there, the 12 jurors is there, my life is on the line. Or you knew the victim's family there? Yes, the daughter was there, you know, and keep in mind that um I'm in trying, the DA is a female. You know, she's starting her career and everything. And my trial attorney, Edward Skelas, has the decency to tell me, come right here to my face. We're in trial, you know? And he tells me, hey, Miguel, I'm gonna fuck the DA. I'm like, what? Like, you fucking kidding me? Like, dude, what the heck are you talking about? You know, I'm like in the line. Yeah, my life is in the line, and keep in mind, I'm like, I was just so disgusted, like you're not focused, like, dude, you're not caring about me. You know, so I believe that that's why he just like wasn't doing no investigation to sleep with the DA to have his little fun, but get his points with her. Yeah, and it's the win for her, obviously. Exactly, because she's trying to build a career.

SPEAKER_01 29:56

And and and let's be honest, not to change the subject. District attorneys are politicians. Big time, yes. They're politicians. The more convictions they get, they'll either get rehired or move up to a higher position. Your ex-member because I just that's why it's you know, I I've been convicted of three felonies myself, and it amazed me that they talk about you, the DA, like if they were with you on the crime. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 30:22

And and and later on I found out they're politicians, and any every conviction they get, it's just a point on their sleeve, you know, but and you got it right on the money because my DA, she's building her career, she don't care whether you're guilty or not. That's right, you know, and it happened to be that she ended up becoming a judge, you know, because whether you because convictions like mine, you know, whether you're innocent or guilty, she just wanted convictions to build her career, like you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 30:47

And the sad part about it, Miguel, is sometimes they can know, but it just goes to show on their side that's how good of a disagree I can convict somebody that isn't guilty. Exactly. Sad and scary. Yeah. So so you're in trial. Yeah. What is the victim's daughter doing? Is she mad dogging you? She's just looking at it.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

She's just looking and she's hearing all the evidence, you know, and um keep in mind, you know, that feeling like just being in there and having all these people thinking that you're some kind of killer. Yeah, and as soon as you're like, people are gonna go, well, why is he on the hot seat? Why is he in the chair? Like, why are they it goes, it I go, and I'm like, dude, I didn't do this. And I'm trying to be like, sh say, like, tell the DA, I have no knowledge of this. I didn't do this, you know, I'm innocent. And keep in mind, I'm six months into my uh my journey of this rank of conviction, I believe in August of '99. I remember going to court, Norwalk court, and um the DA tells the judge, Your Honor, we're gonna drop the death penalty on Miguel Salorio, and we find him convicted. You were fighting the death pillar? Yes, not knowing. Oh my god. And when she said that and goes, and we we convict Miguel Salario, Your Honor, we're gonna give him life without the possibility of pro. And I still remember that feeling like, dude, the right back to from the county bus to the uh to the county jail was like, they want to execute, they want to execute and kill an innocent person. And that's when I was like, dude, well, I gotta, and I was uh telling my attorney could do this, do that. Now they're being now serious. Yeah, I'm damn playing around, like, dude, they're coming out swinging and him below the bell and everything playing dirty with me, you know. And I like, dude, I have no knowledge. Just imagine knowing that I could have got executed, you know? So they um I took it a trial, my girlfriend took the stand, and uh unfortunately the audio tape, when she took the stand, she was telling the jury, I was my boyfriend. I was here this, this, and that, you know, and keep I but yet uh when the the cop, the detective, um Dak Dan McIndare took the stand, they're like, no, his girlfriend just covering up for him and everything. But yet he withheld this, the audio tape when they first recorded, when the she went to the police station, she withheld that, he withheld that out audio tape, and there's a case called Brady versus Marinette, where which is this case is whether it's punishable or innocent to the defendant, should always be provided to the jury and everybody so they could know the facts. But unfortunately, since that audio tape was already innocent, like proving my innocence, they didn't want to, they didn't want to um hold it. So that was prosecution and police misconduct right there and there. So when my girlfriend took the stand, they chewed the the jury believed the cop over my girlfriend.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

You know, and just made her sound like she's just covering for you, period. Yeah, nothing else, just she's just covering for him, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

Yeah, and my girlfriend told me from the very day when this and when I got rearrested the second time, she goes, you know what, Miguel? You know, she's a joke, she's a Christian woman. She's like, you know what, Miguel? If I wouldn't have been with you that night of the murder, I probably would have had that or left you. But since I know for a fact that you were with me, we're gonna fight this until we get judged, until we beat this. You know, and she can't she kept the word, you know, and sure enough, when she took the stand, my sister said they destroyed her credibility and everything. Long story short is that um when the they finally the verdict came, there was um three days of deliberation. Um on the third day, one of the jurors didn't want to participate. And they go, like, no, I don't want to participate. I think that jury actually wanted to find me not guilty, but they asked them, Well, why you don't want to participate? He goes, I got my reasons, and they dismissed it, and they got a new jury, and on the third day they just found me guilty. And they're like, well, they've got a verdict, and we're they're like, the deer goes, Well, Judge, we gotta take the jury finding a verdict, and I'm right there sitting down. He goes, We What did you think at that moment? I was like, I I'm gonna beat it. Like, uh, I'm interested, like, dude, you know. Oh, and they called John Murray too to the stand. We called him, but you know, keep in mind it's already been a whole year since the the incident. So when he took the stand, John Murray goes, Well, um, no one came to interview me. No one came to ask me about this case, and my mind's dirty. I don't know much. I'll go, Yeah, those stealth tickets, that is my name, my phone number, but no one interviewed me. So my attorney fell to interview him, and when he took the stand, it's like it's like when someone trying to ask you questions about a year, oh, you remember the relationship or something you did, or something that happened, you went to this, go to uh Chick-fil-A a year ago with so-and-so, like, well, dude, that's been a long time, and I'll you're kind of blurred, so that's exactly what happened. So that was that was his information wasn't too solid.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

I don't know, Miguel. I gotta speak on that. If he wrote his name down, he knew.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

Yeah, exactly. You know? He knew. Yeah. And uh when the jury um came back and they're like, we the jury finally finding Miguel guilty in the first degree. I was like blown away, like, dude, my heart sank. And I as soon as they like went like that, I looked at the DA, I was like, I'm innocent, I'm innocent, like you it just can't be. And she just looked at me evilly and she just winked at me like, I got you, you know, like you're making a mistake, you know, you're making a mistake, I didn't do nothing, you know. And I was just like, dude, I was trying to like, and my life just changed from that moment on. I was like, dude, I was just like dude, only like 19 years old, life without the possibility, which means it's the second worst sentence a human being could get in the state of California or any country. It means that I don't even have a chance to go to war. Not even a chance for our life, nothing to even like you know, to to get a chance to hit society means I'm gonna die in prison.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

Yeah, because I think in your your era, I'm before you, they were giving uh indefinite deaths, and that's what you have. Like definitely. Yeah, yeah. You're not don't even think about going to war. I don't care how good you do in prison, just you're there, bro. You're gonna die in there, you know.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

You know, and that's exactly it. So throughout my journey, I like I like too, like So, real quick, Miguel, that ride back to the county. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. Like, dude, like, you know, uh depriving me from my freedom, you know. Hopelessness, you know. Yeah, I was like, did God ever come in your mind? Yes, I I first started when God came in my life was in 2018. You know, 18, I say about 18, 19 years into my journey. You know, at first I was Is that what you call it a journey? Yeah, uh nightmare. When yeah, when I started with this nightmare, like there wasn't I'll pick up the pen from the beginning of this nightmare. I'll pick up the pen, write attorney, hey, help me, help me. You know, I knew So you were always doing, you were always writing attorneys? Oh everything. I even um back then didn't have social media like they do now, like Instagram, Facebook. Back then they had like pr like websites and like to kind of like dating websites. But um in 2004, um I was with my my girl, but I told her, I'm gonna throw this website not for dating, but to help get attorneys to read the articles we had on Instagram, and she like go for do it, you know, and no reluctant, nothing, no, no, no, no attorneys out there. I paid like$70 just for one year so I could get attention and I put my case, facts, like you know, it's not me, and this and that. I even told them the only even at trial I was telling them the only reason why you guys are uh picked me out on the six six pack, because those two witnesses took the stand saying it was me. I go, You guys only pick me up because you guys see my picture in the newspaper. You guys were not, you guys never like that's the reason why. So you got to speak it or not? No, I I didn't I didn't take the stand, you know. I didn't take the stand or nothing, you know. Yeah, my vibe my attorney goes, I advise you not to take the stand just whatever happened to that fool. I think he's still um practicing law, you know, but I do want to tell him that dude, I've been telling you that I was innocent and I still I'm gonna tell him this it's messed up that during my trial. Can you sue his ass? Uh I'm I'm not sure. I'm not I've been doing that. At least stock them up. Yeah, yeah. At least at least chin check them, man. Yeah, just don't don't get his services, man. Yeah, yeah, bro. You know, that's you know, lose your money, but um I'll with that Miguel going through prison is no joke.

SPEAKER_01 39:21

You're considered a Southsider, obviously. So that means when you know, a lot of people say, well, you can't do your time, you know, by yourself, but I personally know you could stay clean if you want to. But if there's a riot kicks off, you're you're required to step up. Yeah. So that in itself can get you in trouble. That in itself can get you more time. But you got, you know, let's be honest, you got all the time in the world. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

How was your prison stay to keep you motivated to keep trying to get out? You know, the the the thing that motivated me was my my family. You know, they were so believing in me, supportive, and they're every step of the way. And that's what inspired me to stay focused and try not to lose hope. You know, but I there had to be some days where Yeah, at one point I gotta die in here. At one point I did lose hope. You know, excuse me, in 2015 I was losing hope because um I wrote this attorney, Ellen Eggers, in 2011. Yeah, in 2011 I wrote her because um I seen this case about Frankie Carrillo. It was a drive-by shooting that killed the he was only 17 that killed this person. No, no, no, it's simple that I heard about that exactly. And it was this attorney um had ex beat this case, exonerated uh innocence too. And I beat my case, please help me, please help me. His case is like, man, drive by shooting everything. I'm innocent. And she's from Sacramento, and she writes to me, she's like, Miguel, I'm sorry, I can't help you because I'm a public defender from Sacramento. But once I retire, I could probably help you. I know some sources from San Diego Innocence Project. Since your case is down there, I'm gonna connect you. So um the San Diego Innocence Project started like taking my case. I have my little bit of hopes and everything. Because keep in mind, I'm already in like 16, like fit a couple years, more than 10 years into this nightmare, and I'm finally like, oh, finally, maybe my voice could be heard. And then um law students will review my case, but sad to say, like in 2015, um, they wrote me back, they sent all my paper, my my my whole work, my on my case back saying, Miguel, we're sorry we can't help you no more because um one of the witnesses that we're trying to come uh investigate or contact doesn't want to cooperate, so without that witness, there's no case. And so another door being closed, being and I I lost hope. I did lose hope and I got surprised.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

I didn't see everybody cried like a baby.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

Yeah, I got like them, yeah. And it was 2015 and I just like started giving up, not eating, depression hit me, and literally like they had to give me like a feeding tube, do all kinds of stuff on me, electric convulsive treatment, and then I started like getting better and like nothing else was working, you know.

SPEAKER_01 42:12

You hit rock bottom.

SPEAKER_00 42:13

You know, I was kind of like losing hope basically, but uh I remember right there they give you like those little Bibles right there in prison, you know. And I remember seeing some guy, he had a Bible with his name, and I go, Hey, what did you get? That Bible was 2018. He goes, All right, this um church, they'll send it to you. It takes a couple times. So I wrote them and they finally they sent me a Bible, you know, and I was like, dude, you know what? I'm gonna start seeking God. That's that's what I need. So in 2018, every morning I wake up at five o'clock in the morning, start praising him, giving, reading the Bible. And at that time, I still had no attorney, no representing, nothing. But I was like, God, I believe in you, I trust in you. I started building that, drawing closer to her, to him, praising him, and everything. Then um, and thanks to like God, I could honestly say thanks to him after getting drawing closer to God in August of 2021. And some same attorney, Alan Eggers, she writes me and she goes, Miguel, guess what? Um, I retired. I'm gonna take your case pro bono, which means free of charge. I was like, thank you, Jesus, thank you, God. Goes your kind of cases normally have charged 500 grand. That's half a million. I was like, but for you, I'm gonna do it for free. And I was like, oh my God. And I was just like, I was like, thank you, Jesus, thank you, God, like, thank you for finally like having my prayers be here. Because I was like what day was that? That was August of 2021. You probably know the date of everything.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

Yes, you know, and um she started Yes, bro. I can't even uh just you telling me gives me the chill. Yes, you know, so I So how did that journey start?

SPEAKER_00 43:53

So I was like my Alan Egg. Three years have you been down now? Right there, I was probably down already like 20. 22, 22, over over, and once I hit 20 years, I'm not gonna lie, I felt like, damn, what is this gonna what is like once I hit 20 years, two decades, I was like, bro, getting tired, like, dude, when is my voice gonna be heard? But finally, God sent me like an angel, Ellen Edgers, and she goes, you know what, Miguel? I'm gonna take your case. We're gonna contact the Northern California Innocence Project. We're gonna get them involved. Sarah Pace and Kate, uh Paige Kenneth are gonna take your case, and we're also gonna contact the DA from the district attorney from Los Angeles, and we're gonna have them, it's called the Conviction Target Unit. He goes, and right there, they helped innocent cases. So those are DAs and cops that review innocent cases. Right there's hundreds of letters going there, and they have this short and limited on resources, so they only take 10 cases per year to investigate because they're doing thorough investigations, but mine was number nine out of those ten. I was like, thank you, God, like things are looking like like my voice is fine, like you know, I'm starting to smile, like already trusting in God, like even once I start building that relationship with God, and I was like, dude, we got the Northern California's project, we got the conviction triggering, and we got L Mangro. So they're all advocating they start finding a rate of habeas corpus. For those that don't know what a rate writ up habeas corpus is newly discovered evidence that was never produced at trial, you know, that could be a new outcome. So NTIP, the Northern California project started getting new evidence. They brought a lot of exculpatory evidence on my behalf, and they um finally in um let's see in um March, you know, they did in March of 2023. That's when um, you know, I was in my cell. I remember that day, and you know, I was in my cell, it was like around three o'clock in the afternoon, and I just I felt a little overwhelmed, but still I had that faith in God. I got on my knees and I started praying to God, like God, you know, I have faith in you that you're gonna open the doors, you're gonna clear my name. You're you're readers of heart. You know my heart's white of snow. You know I have no involvement in this. You know that you're gonna bring justice to my name, you're gonna clear clear my name. I trust in you. I have faith in you that you and I don't doubt you. I believe in you. I'm a strong believer. My faith, you know me, I believe in you. And after like crying and sobbing and on my knees inside the cell, I got up, you know, and right there, you you know, you got concrete walls, so you only have a little window, but I walked back in the cell and I looked out the window just to clear my mind and the art of all the things. You know, I'm wiping my tears. I look right there at the window and I see this big old amazing, beautiful rainbow just right there, like staring at me. And I felt like, you know, well, God, you're hearing my prayers. Like I felt this something about that rainbow that made me believe that God's listening to me. Like, like a father talks to a son when they have a one-on-one conversation. I felt God was hearing me, you know. And then in July of 2028, of 2023, um, they say, you know what, my Northern California's project, my attorney Alan Eggers, and um submitted a rate of habeas corpus. They showed a copy to the conviction trigger unit, they submit it. Then again in September of 2023, I'm walking the yard, right? And and I'm waiting to for a response from the courts, but I'm walking the yard. Oh no, it was a Saturday night, and um I'm in my cell, and I felt overwhelmed still, you know. I have my saturated and everything, but uh at that moment I was like, you know what I'm gonna do? I got on my knees, I started praying to God and everything, sobbing and crying, like, God, I believe in you. I I know you're gonna bring justice to me. I I don't I don't doubt you, but I still feel overwhelmed, but I still have believed in him. I went back to sleep and in the morning they did on like to go to the yard. It was a Sunday, and I'm they doing like eight o'clock and I started walking, and talking about things I see, I see this big old epic rainbow just right there on top of me. And I say, you know what? This time I know it's not a coincidence. I know this time he's listening to my prayers. I end up getting coup spumps all over my body, like, dude, this is not a coincidence no more. Same like every time I got on my knees to praise him, you know, bro. Like I I felt like every time that was right there, he's like telling me, don't worry, everything's gonna be okay. You know, you you trusted me, I got you. That's the kind of connection I was feeling with him. And then that one on uh October, the my attorney goes, Hey, the they can concided, they conceded with uh concided with us, so we're gonna have a court on November, we're gonna have a webcam, and and you're gonna have court with the judge November 9th, because they filed that.

SPEAKER_01 48:53

So when you heard that news, yes, I was like, whoa, so I went over this is actually the first anything that's happened in the 23 years, bro.

SPEAKER_00 49:02

Yes, and um happened to be that um my attorney, um Sarah Pace from the Northern California Instance Project goes, you know what, Miguel? It's really rare that um that the DA and everything, because I agree with us that what they've been doing to you is injustice. And everything, no many cases like yours take months and years for the DA to finally say, you know what, this guy is actually innocent. But mine lasted from um July, August, September, October, like three, like literally 90 days, three months to the DA goes, hey, we agree with that that this man is actually innocent. And when I went to court November 9th, 2023, the judge goes, Miguel, uh, we're sorry, we apologize to the justice system failed you. You had no involvement in this. There's exculpatory evidence that does not, you're not even there. Um, what we're gonna do, we're gonna vacate and dismiss all charges.

SPEAKER_01 50:03

The sad thing about it, the sad thing about it almost have a heart attack and die. You know what I mean? Yeah. Just like when you heard those words. I was like, I looked up and I was like, thank you. Don't be playing with me, ain't it?

SPEAKER_00 50:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:17

And I still didn't believe it. This is on the website, right? Yeah, this is on the webcam. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:22

So you're not actually in the parking lot. Yeah, so so then afterwards, um, and the following day was the Veterans Day, so I waited until Monday to all the paperwork, and finally November 13, 2023, I came and walked out of prison, and I was just in disbelief. I was like, How many years total? Uh exactly 20, about 20, close to 25 years, about 25 years. 19 years old, and I came out at 44.

SPEAKER_01 50:47

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 50:48

So a whole quarter of a century for something I had no involvement. No involvement, you know, and I praise God that without him, without me not drawing closer to him, I think I probably would have been dead and dying it slowly but surely in prison.

SPEAKER_01 51:04

Or or just got into the mix. Yeah. Why not?

SPEAKER_00 51:08

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:09

You got to lose, you know.

SPEAKER_00 51:10

Yeah, and I started praising it. It seems like everything was just lining perfect from 2018 to 2021, those three years, I didn't have no one out here defending me, but who was defending was the God, a man above. Yeah, and I came home November 13, 2023, and I was just the happiest man in the world in the world. But that night when when I got exoned, um, when the judge vacated the the um the sentencing and everything through my name, when I went back to my cell that night, I remember I was in my cell. So you knew already I'm going home. Yeah, I'm going home. And I was watching the TV too. I was watching the TV, you know, right there you could get a 15-inch um TV screen. And I was watching um a row of evil, right? It's a Spanish show, and it was commercial, so I was just flipping the channels, you know, and I was flipping the channels, and out of uh out of all the things I could see, there was a big old rainbow like right there in front of my screen of my TV, you know. And I bet every time you see a rainbow, you say, you know, thank you, Jesus. Yeah, and I I say it because that's God's pride for people that don't know what a rainbow is, yeah. It's God's promises exactly, but to me it was a God's promise because I was seeking him, I was drawing closer to him. Be faithful, my servant. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 52:27

Okay, amen. Yes, you know, because now let's let's jump into I I'm just talking from the heart. Payback almost. Payback. Well, why can't this district attorney be punished? Why can't the state be punished? Did you sue him? Um, because this this was actually possible Excuse me, real quick. I know some states will let you go, but you can't sue us.

SPEAKER_00 52:52

Yeah, they make you sign a contract, and some states they'll be like, you know what? Yeah, we know we're on fault, but you gotta sign, but you can't sue us. You ain't not gonna get no kind of settlement, no money, but you get it.

SPEAKER_01 53:02

We took 25 years of your life, but you know, yeah, get out, bro.

SPEAKER_00 53:05

Yeah, and and keep in mind, like mine was 25 years. I'm stuck in the pagers days. So for those, so for those people that don't get paid out, like don't even get some kind of settlement or anything, nothing going. So imagine just throwing back to the feature, like with now AI and everything. You're gonna be like, technology is so advanced, I still have problems trying to understand um the new cell phones because back then didn't have cell phones unless you were a doctor, Motorola, stuff like that. You know, you're bothered. But now nowadays I remember when I was out, my niece, she's only five years old, and I'm trying to put a on my cell phone a screen picture of my dog. His name is Freedom, right? And my boxer has a screen thing, goes, Oh, I can't help you tell. Five year old goes, there you go. I was like, what the heck? She made me feel this big, like, what the hell? A little kid just showing me in seconds, oh yeah, yeah. And now that technology, but to me, it's like this new technology is still kind of difficult. I'm trying to understand it. I'm still having like trouble to adjust stuff like that. Like coming out was like, I remember my attorney, Simone from um Northern California's project, she handed me like um a debit card, right? And I remember I was in Target, I was just out like maybe three, four days or two days, and we're like going some to store. You came back to Whittier or where did you go? I was I uh I was um yeah, I came back to Whittier and everything. And she, I'm trying, I'm in Target and I'm like, I'm reading real quick. Did this hit the media when you got home? Yes, it hit the media and everything. Yeah, my whole thing. Because I remember I wanted to surprise my mom, right? And like knock out the door like mom at this time. Luckily, thank God that my mom's still alive. She was 76 years old, and I remember telling my mom, because she used to come visit me once a month with my sister, that were always the faithful ones. But I remember telling my mom, um, she came to visit me in October of 2023. The last time she came to visit me, I told my mom, uh when the visit was over, I go, I told her, this is gonna be the last hug, I'm gonna give you a present. I told her, next time I give you a hug, it's gonna be out there in the streets. I go, mark my words, mom. I'm not telling you. And sure enough, that was my last visit. And when I seen her in November, um, they f like they flew to San Francisco, right? All the family, because and we drove back to it, but when they flew over there, I remember all my like 20 family members going over there. And um, when I was gonna see my mom, the first thing I told my mom, Mom, what did I tell you? Didn't I tell you the next time I gave you a hug was gonna be out here? She was sobbing, crying me too. I was like, uh, you're right, me oh, you did mention to me the next time you see me, I'll go, I I I believed in the eye part that this was gonna happen. And when I manifested that and I believed in him, and I still do, like, he made that happen. When I told my mom, this is gonna be the last time, don't worry, mom, you don't have to go through this no more. You know, and my petition um got granted in November with the exoneration, and that's when I see my mom, October, the finally month I seen her, and I gave her my first hug. And I was just like, dude, like, and disbelieve. Like, I kept telling my attorney, my several page, all my attorneys pinch me, pinch me. This is like a dream, too good to like a dream come true, like I'm dreaming. But he goes, Don't, don't, I'm not gonna pinch you no, because this is reality. You got your freedom, but and I was like, dude, like sometimes like like I'll be driving somewhere and it just hits me. Yeah? It hits me like You missed a lot of years old. Yeah. A lot of years old. And um I I remember when I was giving a talk in Alcatraz, and I was out for a couple of couple days, you know, we a week or two, and I gave a talk in front of Orchestra the first time in front of audience, 300 audience, like strangers, right? From everywhere. And um, they're like, after I shared my story and uh NCIP did the Northern Conference project, it was Q ⁇ A qua questions and answers, and um I remember clearly one of the um when one of the audience goes, you know what? If that would have happened to me, they would have taken 25 years out of my life, I would have been mad at the world. I'll go, how is it that, how are you coping with this? I'll go, you know what? I'm a forgiving person. I forgive the crooked cop, the DA, the everybody, the judge, because and the false witnesses that lie against me, because if I don't know how to forgive someone, I'm not gonna have that inner peace. I'm gonna be miserable. I'm gonna be mad, like how you're saying. And I remember what he said, he's like, you know what, dude? I'll give you so much respect, you got so much resilience. I'll go, I I have to be forgiven because I'm not gonna be able to enjoy my freedom, my life. But I'll go, plus, you know, there is a higher power. They're the ones that they're gonna answer to him anyways, you know how I see it. Because I don't judge nobody, but I was like, you know what? And he goes, dude, I like that. But he goes, You got a lot of resilience, but I still would have been mad. You know, I was like, you know what?

SPEAKER_01 58:13

Hey, I'm I'm being honest, bro. I would have been mad too. You know, yeah, you know, but but as a Christian, I I'm glad that you you're forgiving them, you know what I mean? You don't have to hang out with them, you don't have to have dinner with them. Yeah, but I forgive you. Yeah, I mean you get dealt with, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 58:28

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 58:29

But what was there did you get blessed?

SPEAKER_00 58:32

Also, yeah, when um when I got out, um they on December of 2023 with um the DA, they found me factual innocence, which means that in the state of California, once you clear your name, that's like absolutely like clear, like I could go get a deal. So it wasn't a case drop, you were just found innocent. Innocent, yeah. Just a difference, yeah. And once they found me there, um in the state of California, if you end up um getting found innocent for they pay you$140 a day for a wrongful conviction like mine, and I did 9,000 days, you know. So they they gave me all that tax-free, and then end up giving me that month close to like 1.3 around that mile. And now that was that. Now I got a something else going in the mix at this moment, and you know, and we'll definitely keep that in front, bro. Definitely keep that.

SPEAKER_01 59:28

But those those officials, those policemen, did they ever give you a face-to-face apology? No, they haven't. But they know that you were police, right?

SPEAKER_00 59:39

And that'll meant that mean a lot to me if at least the wrongful police officers will be like, you know what, maybe I'll I apologize. To me, that'll be so like you know what? It means like you're acknowledging all your wrongdoings.

SPEAKER_01 59:53

Yeah, you know, I uh even if they want to say it was a mistake. Yeah. But by not saying anything, in my opinion, this is me saying, not you. In my opinion, by them not saying it, I knew I I knew I was doing crooked stuff. Yeah. That's me saying it. Ray Corona. You know what I mean? But if they came up to you and said, Miguel, I just messed up the investigation, then then it's an honest mistake. Bad mistake, but honest mistake. But that's my opinion, you know? But but you know what, Miguel, I thank you for coming on, bro. And and and ladies, he's a single man. We're gonna keep him in prayer. Uh, I always ask my guests, now that you're out, what kind of sports you watch, huh? You know what? I know you're gonna say boxing homes.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:37

Yeah, you know what? I'm a big fan of the Lakers, I'm a big fan of the Dodgers. That's right. Um, I love um every kind of sport, football too. I like um I want to go to a football team, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:48

Okay, so don't say the Raiders.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:50

Come on, I'm actually a Packer fan. Okay, you know, I'm a Packer fan because back in the 90s, like once they left, then there was no Raiders. So I jumped into bandwagon since '98. Cool, cool. But yeah, when Brett Farr was in quarterback, yeah, he was one of the best quarterbacks, too. But I love sports, I love to go hiking, I like to go to the beachy beach, I like the ocean, the water, and you'll see, you know. You know what? If you need Miguel to come out and talk to the kids, I'll be honored to give any presentations and share some kind of knowledge and wisdom. Because people, you know, we probably growing up, we're like, we hear from our parents, like, oh, don't do this, this happened. But when you hear from someone that's been in those shoes, live that life, it they it's more like they are like we understand each other. Like, cause growing up, yeah, you hear from parents, but we're like, okay, you just like whatever. But when I never had no mentor, no, no one you could look up to, or someone be like, dude, that happened to him. Like, oh shoot, like it makes you like change your mindset, you know. And I tell people, like, even their parents, like, if you have loved kids and loved ones, um, try to keep them active by putting them into sports or some kind of activity, spend time with them. That way they won't go straight with the wrong crowd or anything. That way they could like be staying something focused and try to do good. But for those um young kids, do it just, you know, uh, my best advice, I've been in that road, you know, neglected, knowledge, abused, and no one. But you know what? When you stay active doing something good, listen to your parents. Trusting God, you know, trust in God all the time. Because once you trust in God, He will open the doors. Pray about things, the doors open. Because if a miracle could happen to me, it could actually happen to you. And I'm speaking it from my own experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:39

Amen. With with that, we're gonna close, guys. I want to thank you again, Miguel. Thank you for coming out. Thank you, brother. Man, I just thought you hey hey guys, check out his Instagram. Again, I'm not playing Cupid, but he's an available man, a godly man, beautiful home. So I just want you, hey, go to Third Man in the Ring or Rep Popeye Ray. Please share this and subscribe. God bless, guys. God bless.