Murder trial for mother of unlicensed bail agent advances

The murder trial for Lisa Vargas is moving forward. She's the mother of unlicensed bail agent Fabian Herrera who forced entry into a condo and shot and killed a Palm Springs man last April.

Vargas said she accompanied her son the night of the shooting as "back up," despite not being trained or licensed as a bounty hunter. Herrera was not a licensed bail agent either.

At a felony settlement conference in Indio court Tuesday morning, Vargas appeared before a judge in a wheelchair.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for her case on June 17 at 8:30 a.m.

Newly obtained body camera video of the April 2021 incident that details the confusion surrounding the incident that ensued. One clip shows Vargas waiting outside the front door while police processed the scene. She at times appears to be crying and anxiously asked about Spann upstairs, as first responders tried without success to revive him.

"Is he gonna be okay," Vargas asked.

"No idea. I only went up there for two seconds," an officer responded.

Vargas asked to sit down and go on her cell phone. She was silent almost the entire time, but her concern about Spann persisted.

"Did he die?" she asked.

"I don't know. I mean, obviously I've been out here with you. I really don't know," the officer said.

Earlier in the night, Herrera is seen surrendering his gun to police.

"And where's the gun," an officer asked.

"You want me to disarm it? Pull the mag out and everything," Herrera asked.

"Yes, please," the officer said.

Out of breath, Herrera takes stock of the situation. "What a night," he said.

"Yeah, I'll say," the officer responded.

Herrera is due back in court on April 8 for a trial readiness conference.