Zuma Canyon
Encyclopedia
"Zuma Canyon" is the ninth episode of the revamped and renamed Law & Order spinoff
, Law & Order: LA. The episode originally aired on April 11, 2011 on NBC
. In this episode, the police investigate a quinceañera massacre
; one of them may pay the ultimate price, and a district attorney is set to take the law back into his own hands.
erupts in violence when several men masked in bandanas open fire on the party leaving multiple people dead, Detectives Winters and Jaruszalski quickly follow leads. During their search for answers, they find a eleven year old Yaqui Indian boy from Sonora, Mexico named Fernando (Quinton Lopez), protecting acres of marijuana and discover he is the only witness that can help the case, although he doesn't talk and tell them who he is because he fears the man with "snakes feet" - Caesar Vargas (Jose Pablo Cantillo
), who owned the marijuana field.
The police place him in Eastlake Juvenile Facility, under a pseudonym for his own protection. As the detectives begin to close in on the suspect, Winters receives a surprise visit at home where a car slows down in front of his house, just before a gunman opens fire, Winters getting shot in the side protecting his daughter Lily (Caitlin Carmichael
). While Casey (Teri Polo
) performs CPR, their telephone rings; Cesar's filtered voice leaves an ominous message on the answering machine - Winters dies in the hospital, causing everyone to grieve, even various police officers and members of the district attorney's office that were in the waiting area.
Meanwhile, DDA Morales risks upsetting the Mexican government by prosecuting the guilty. Morales calls Deputy Ortega (Al Espinosa) of the Mexican consulate corrupt and accused him of knowing Vargas and leaking information about Fernando's location to Cesar Vargas, which Ortega denies. Although to keep the police off of him he told Morales that Caesar was seeking refuge and asking to be repatriated. Morales later taking heat from D.A. Jerry Hardin (Peter Coyote
); who initially insisted on waiting until Vargas was back in Mexico to formally extradite him.
Hardin secretly had the deputy assistant attorney general of Mexico listening in on the telephone to get Mexican Consul General, Efraim Contreras, and Ortega to deal to bluff Vargas into thinking he was going to Mexico. Instead, Jaruszalski pulls Cesar out of the back seat of an SUV and arrests him. Later, Morales promised to move Fernando's family to Los Angeles, in exchange for Fernando's testimony; but Bo Washburn; a representative from the State Department, declined his request. Morales ambushes him with an emergency petition to compel the State Department to grant asylum to Fernando's family in federal court.
Morales appeals to the judge, and eventually Fernando's reunited with his family. Before trial is set to start and Fernando was set to be called to the witness stand, he was found in a pool of blood, his throat cut - a woman posed as the interpreter assigned to Fernando committed the crime, likely hired by Vargas. With Fernando dead, Morales's case got thrown out and Caesar Vargas walked - the courtroom shocked.
Morales wonders how it will look for the DA's office if he quits and returns to the police force, because his boss is too vain to ask for help in bringing a cop killer to justice. Though Hardin turned the tables, spinning Morales' move as a resignation after being replaced as the prosecutor in Cesar's case. Hardin will say the case needed a fresh pair of eyes, and even if it took 10 years, they would prosecute Vargas.
Later on Morales walks in with a box of his things; wearing an LAPD badge, and sets them down on an empty desk while Jaruszalski was watching by a window.
. Stars Skeet Ulrich
and Regina Hall
had to depart the cast due to a casting overhaul in January 2011, which in turn Skeet Ulrich was replaced by Alfred Molina
whose role changed from lead prosecutor to lead detective in the next episode.
Law & Order (franchise)
The Law & Order franchise is a number of related American television series created by Dick Wolf and originally broadcast on NBC, all of which deal with some aspect of the criminal justice system...
, Law & Order: LA. The episode originally aired on April 11, 2011 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. In this episode, the police investigate a quinceañera massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
; one of them may pay the ultimate price, and a district attorney is set to take the law back into his own hands.
Plot
When a normal quinceañeraQuinceañera
Quinceañera , sometimes called "Fiesta de quince años", "Fiesta de Quinceañera", "Quince años" or simply "quince", is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of immigrants from Latin America...
erupts in violence when several men masked in bandanas open fire on the party leaving multiple people dead, Detectives Winters and Jaruszalski quickly follow leads. During their search for answers, they find a eleven year old Yaqui Indian boy from Sonora, Mexico named Fernando (Quinton Lopez), protecting acres of marijuana and discover he is the only witness that can help the case, although he doesn't talk and tell them who he is because he fears the man with "snakes feet" - Caesar Vargas (Jose Pablo Cantillo
Jose Pablo Cantillo
Jose Pablo Cantillo is an American actor of Costa Rican descent.Jose Pablo Cantillo grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, and attended Terre Haute South Vigo High School where he was a tennis standout for all 4 years, leading the Terre Haute South Braves to a State Runner-Up finish in 1996...
), who owned the marijuana field.
The police place him in Eastlake Juvenile Facility, under a pseudonym for his own protection. As the detectives begin to close in on the suspect, Winters receives a surprise visit at home where a car slows down in front of his house, just before a gunman opens fire, Winters getting shot in the side protecting his daughter Lily (Caitlin Carmichael
Caitlin Carmichael
Caitlin Elizabeth Carmichael is an American child actress.-Biography:Caitlin Carmichael was born in Tifton, Georgia, to parents Tom and Catherine Carmichael. Caitlin's career began when she was 3 years old. Her family took her on a Disney cruise for her birthday, and while attending a show, she...
). While Casey (Teri Polo
Teri Polo
Theresa Elizabeth "Teri" Polo is an American actress known for her role of Pam Focker in the movie Meet the Parents and its two sequels, Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers...
) performs CPR, their telephone rings; Cesar's filtered voice leaves an ominous message on the answering machine - Winters dies in the hospital, causing everyone to grieve, even various police officers and members of the district attorney's office that were in the waiting area.
Meanwhile, DDA Morales risks upsetting the Mexican government by prosecuting the guilty. Morales calls Deputy Ortega (Al Espinosa) of the Mexican consulate corrupt and accused him of knowing Vargas and leaking information about Fernando's location to Cesar Vargas, which Ortega denies. Although to keep the police off of him he told Morales that Caesar was seeking refuge and asking to be repatriated. Morales later taking heat from D.A. Jerry Hardin (Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
); who initially insisted on waiting until Vargas was back in Mexico to formally extradite him.
Hardin secretly had the deputy assistant attorney general of Mexico listening in on the telephone to get Mexican Consul General, Efraim Contreras, and Ortega to deal to bluff Vargas into thinking he was going to Mexico. Instead, Jaruszalski pulls Cesar out of the back seat of an SUV and arrests him. Later, Morales promised to move Fernando's family to Los Angeles, in exchange for Fernando's testimony; but Bo Washburn; a representative from the State Department, declined his request. Morales ambushes him with an emergency petition to compel the State Department to grant asylum to Fernando's family in federal court.
Morales appeals to the judge, and eventually Fernando's reunited with his family. Before trial is set to start and Fernando was set to be called to the witness stand, he was found in a pool of blood, his throat cut - a woman posed as the interpreter assigned to Fernando committed the crime, likely hired by Vargas. With Fernando dead, Morales's case got thrown out and Caesar Vargas walked - the courtroom shocked.
Morales wonders how it will look for the DA's office if he quits and returns to the police force, because his boss is too vain to ask for help in bringing a cop killer to justice. Though Hardin turned the tables, spinning Morales' move as a resignation after being replaced as the prosecutor in Cesar's case. Hardin will say the case needed a fresh pair of eyes, and even if it took 10 years, they would prosecute Vargas.
Later on Morales walks in with a box of his things; wearing an LAPD badge, and sets them down on an empty desk while Jaruszalski was watching by a window.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Skeet Ulrich Skeet Ulrich Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream... |
Det. Rex Winters |
| Corey Stoll Corey Stoll Corey Daniel Stoll is an American stage and screen actor. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for Intimate Apparel, opposite Tony winner and Oscar nominee Viola Davis. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1998... |
Det. Tomas Jaruszalski |
| Rachel Ticotin Rachel Ticotin Rachel Ticotin is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Ticotin was born in Bronx, New York, the daughter of Iris Torres, a Puerto Rican educator, and Abe Ticotin, a Russian Jewish used car salesman. Her brother, Sahaj, is a musician and the lead singer for his rock group, Ra... |
Lt. Arleen Gonzales |
| Regina Hall Regina Hall Regina Hall is an American film and television actress known for her lead role of Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie films and as Corretta Lipp in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal.-Personal life:... |
Jr. D.D.A. Eva Price |
| Alfred Molina Alfred Molina Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears... |
Sr. D.D.A. Ricardo Morales |
Production
The episode was written by Richard Sweren and directed by Tom DiCilloTom DiCillo
Thomas A. "Tom" DiCillo is an American film director, screenwriter and cinematographer.-Early life:He was born in Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina. His father was Italian and his mother was from New England...
. Stars Skeet Ulrich
Skeet Ulrich
Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
and Regina Hall
Regina Hall
Regina Hall is an American film and television actress known for her lead role of Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie films and as Corretta Lipp in the FOX comedy-drama Ally McBeal.-Personal life:...
had to depart the cast due to a casting overhaul in January 2011, which in turn Skeet Ulrich was replaced by Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
whose role changed from lead prosecutor to lead detective in the next episode.