Investigative & enterprise reporter @latimes | Author of Where the Fire Met the Sea, out June 2027 @BloomsburyPub
Los Angeles, CA
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Connor Sheets retweeted
If you’re interested in learning more, on Wednesday, @lamarr_lemee and I will be talking about our restraining orders investigation as part of USC’s virtual Domestic Violence Symposium alongside a stacked lineup of journalists and experts.
Register here: centerforhealthjournalism.or…
In April 2024, Nora Villanueva Campanor fled her abusive husband Jesse Carrillo and got a restraining order against him.
Four months later, he shot her and left her dead body on a desert road. LA County’s system for protecting survivors had failed her at every turn.
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If you’re interested in learning more, on Wednesday, @lamarr_lemee and I will be talking about our restraining orders investigation as part of USC’s virtual Domestic Violence Symposium alongside a stacked lineup of journalists and experts.
Register here: centerforhealthjournalism.or…
In April 2024, Nora Villanueva Campanor fled her abusive husband Jesse Carrillo and got a restraining order against him.
Four months later, he shot her and left her dead body on a desert road. LA County’s system for protecting survivors had failed her at every turn.
1/20
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Also, huge thank you to USC’s @ReportingHealth for supporting our work via its Domestic Violence Impact Reporting Fund, which is currently accepting applications for the next round of funding. Details about how to apply for grants are at the same link: centerforhealthjournalism.or…
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Nora’s death could have been prevented, according to Lynn Gardner, an advocate who worked with Nora from April to August 2024, if the authorities had been more proactive in their response to the threat Carrillo posed.
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“She said no one believed that he was going to kill her,” Gardner said.
“She went from a victim to survivor to thriver. And now that she’s in a position of thriving and wanting to have a better future for her children, that light was cut out from her.”
19/20
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Learn more about Nora’s final months and our @latimes investigation of L.A. County’s restraining-order system in the stories at this link.
Stay tuned for future reporting on these issues from @lamarr_lemee & me. Thank you for reading.
20/20
latimes.com/california/story…
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At an intersection, Nora jumped out of the car and tried to get into someone else's vehicle.
Carrillo shot her once in the face before she could escape, and left her dead body on the roadway. He shot & killed himself less than 2 hours later.
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Three months later, Nora went out with co-workers for the first time since she fled her husband’s abuse. She gave a co-worker a ride home that night.
When they arrived at the co-worker's house, Nora realized that Carrillo had followed them.
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Hours later, Carrillo was injured in a crash while driving near the house in Palmdale where Nora was staying with relatives.
A deputy served him with the restraining order in the hospital. The order was already a week from expiring.
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Carrillo grabbed Nora from behind and held out a knife, urging her to plunge it into his abdomen.
“Here, just stab me,” he said as she struggled to escape. “I’m not going to hurt you. I need you to do it to me. Please, baby.”
11/20
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Deputies arrested Carrillo hours after Nora fled in April 2024 and reported that their daughter alleged he'd been sexually abusing her for years.
Two days later he was back on the street. The LASD said he was released because the D.A.’s office declined to prosecute.
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Meanwhile, the percentage of domestic violence cases that result in prosecutors bringing charges is decreasing.
In 2025, 84% of domestic battery cases were rejected by the L.A. city attorney, up from 76% in 2019, according to our data analysis.
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In Los Angeles County, only 21% of requests for restraining orders are granted.
The court process can be hostile and overwhelming, especially for survivors who can’t afford a lawyer. Many are scared, broke and displaced.
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A key contributing factor: 9 out of 10 people who request a restraining order do not have a lawyer to help them navigate the legal process, according to our analysis of court data.
6/20
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In 2024 & 2025, 63 women were suspected of being killed in LA County by a former partner or close relative who was arrested or charged w/ their murder - over 40% of women slain those years. At least 10 had sought restraining orders, including Nora.
latimes.com/california/story…
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