INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – A 28-year-old man who fatally shot a Desert Hot Springs resident nearly a decade ago was sentenced today to 30 years to life in state prison.
Richard Alex Bernal of Desert Hot Springs pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree murder and attempted murder under a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admissions, sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations were dismissed against Bernal.
During a hearing at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Friday, Superior Court Judge Kristi Hester imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense…