Thermal resident Issac Marquez Vargas, 26, was sentenced to 24 years in state prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder and other charges in the 2022 shooting of a Coachella motorist, according to KESQ. The plea and sentence in Indio resolved the case more than four years after the shooting.
The Shooting in Coachella
The shooting occurred shortly before 2 a.m. on May 30, 2022, in the 49200 block of Cesar Chavez Street near Grapefruit Boulevard, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, as reported by KESQ (City News Service). Vargas confronted the victim as he returned to his vehicle after visiting a business in the strip mall.
Vargas shot the motorist multiple times with a handgun and left the scene, KESQ reported. The victim was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and recovered from his injuries.
Who Provides Policing in Coachella?
For context on local public-safety services, the City of Coachella says the Riverside County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement under contract through the Coachella Police Department.
Arrest Came After a Brief Standoff
Investigators identified Vargas as the shooter within days of the attack, the station's report notes. He was taken into custody on June 16, 2022, at his residence in the 84200 block of Redondo Sur following a brief standoff. At the time of the shooting, Vargas had reportedly posted bail in connection with a separate theft-related case, a detail that would later factor into the charges against him.
It remains unclear whether an attempted carjacking or robbery had been planned that night.
Guilty Plea Brings Four-Year Case to a Close
Under the plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, Vargas admitted to attempted murder, gun and great bodily injury allegations, and an allegation that he committed a felony while out on bail. Prosecutors dropped several related enhancements, according to KESQ.
Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Tucker approved the plea terms at the Larson Justice Center in Indio and imposed the 24-year state-prison sentence agreed to by the prosecution and defense. KESQ reported that the earlier theft-related case was also apparently disposed of on the day of sentencing: KESQ.
