Drunk driver who killed woman in Palm Desert crash sentenced
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - A motorist who killed a 36-year-old woman whose sedan he rear-ended while driving under the influence in Palm Desert was bound for state prison today to serve a sentence of 15 years to life behind bars after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
Alberto Lopez, 28, of Coachella admitted the felony count Wednesday under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. No charges were dismissed.
The plea was announced at the start of a pretrial hearing in the Larson Justice Center. Superior Court Judge Arthur Hester immediately imposed the sentence required under state law.
According to sheriff's Sgt. Don Olson, about 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2023, Lopez was driving his Dodge Durango eastbound on Country Club Drive at high speed when he encountered stopped traffic at the intersection of Country Club and Cook Street.
The drunken defendant did not hit the brakes on his SUV, plowing into the back of a Hyundai Elantra driven by Sara Ahmadie of Palm Desert, Olson said.
Deputies and paramedics reached the location a short time later and discovered Ahmadie dead in her vehicle. She was the sole occupant.
Lopez, who was not injured, exhibited obvious signs of intoxication and was taken into custody without incident, according to investigators.
Court records indicated he had a prior DUI conviction, though the circumstances were not detailed.
