Yucca Valley man pleads not guilty to murder, hit & run & DUI charges

A two-time DUI offender accused of running down a pedestrian in Desert Hot Springs and fleeing the scene pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder, hit-and-run and drunken driving charges.

Michael Bettasso, 39, of Yucca Valley, was taken into custody at his home on Sunday night, a day after the collision that killed 63-year-old Richard Helton of Desert Hot Springs.

Bettasso is charged with murder, drunken driving causing injury, hit-and-run causing death or injury and driving with a suspended or revoked license, along with sentence-enhancing allegations involving an accident causing great bodily injury or death.

He is being held at the Riverside County jail in Indio in lieu of $1 million bail, and is due back in court on July 18 for a felony settlement conference.

Authorities allege Bettasso was driving northbound on Indian Canyon Drive at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday when his 2014 Nissan Sentra struck Helton, who was walking along the east side of the roadway.

The crash was not reported to the California Highway Patrol until around 7:20 Sunday morning. CHP officers found Helton dead at the scene and his 1988 Chevrolet pickup truck south of the crash scene, indicating the vehicle broke down and he walked down the road for assistance.

Bettasso allegedly fled the scene, but was identified by witnesses, said California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Radford.

Bettasso has two prior convictions in Riverside County for drunken driving, one in 2004 and another in 2013, according to court records.