Former Riverside County deputy who shot father of his girlfriend's children granted probation

A former Riverside County Sheriff's deputy was granted probation on Tuesday, more than a decade after he shot and killed the father of his girlfriend's children in Coachella. 

Oscar Rodriguez, 43, was recently convicted in June of the shooting that left Luis Morin dead in 2014. Morin was the ex-boyfriend of Rodriguez's then-girlfriend, Diana Perez, according to a news release from the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. The jury also found true an allegation that he personally used a firearm in the commission of the crime. 

Prosecutors say that Rodriguez was on patrol on Jan. 27, 2014, when he learned Morin's whereabouts from Perez. 

"Without alerting his law enforcement team, Rodriguez went to the 48-800 block of Camino Real in Coachella, where Morin was approaching the front door of his mother's residence after attending a birthday dinner with his family," said the news release.

Rodriguez confronted Morin under the pretense of serving a felony arrest warrant, the release said. When Morin tried to flee, a struggle ensued and Rodriguez fired one shot from his duty weapon. It struck Morin in the side, killing him, prosecutors said. 

"Evidence presented at trial revealed that Rodriguez and Perez had begun a romantic relationship after the deputy responded to multiple 911 calls Perez made regarding Marin," the DA's release said. 

Rodriguez was sentenced to one year in jail and 10 years of probation supervision on Monday. The decision the district attorney's objection. 

"The People vehemently disagree with the recommendation from the probation department and the court's decision," said a statement from Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Garcia. "This sentence minimizes the gravity of Rodriguez's actions and the devastating impact on Mr. Morin's family, while also disregarding the significant effort the jury devoted to reaching a just verdict. We firmly believe a stronger sentence was warranted to reflect the seriousness of this crime and to hold the defendant fully accountable."

The DA's office recommended that the former deputy receive a mid-term sentence of 10 years in state prison.

Morin's family also pleaded with the judge during the hearing. 

"Your honor please, please don't slap us in the face with probation," said Arianna Mejia, Morin's sister. "I beg of you, probation will take away everything that my family has. ... Probation is allowing an ex-police officer ... allowing them to commit crime like this."

CBS News Los Angeles reached out to Rodriguez's attorney for comment. They shared a statement, which said: "We believe the sentence was thoughtful and properly represents the findings of the jury together with the strong moral character of Mr. Rodriguez."

Rodriguez was credited with 194 days of jail custody credit for time already served, which were applied to his sentence.