A judge is scheduled Wednesday to rule whether there is enough evidence for a documented gang member accused of shooting at two men in Desert Hot Springs, one of whom was hit multiple times, to stand trial on attempted murder and attempted robbery charges.
Richard Alex Bernal, 21, of Desert Hot Springs, faces four felony charges stemming from the Aug. 15, 2018 shooting.
At least three previous preliminary hearings scheduled for Bernal have been postponed in past months.
Bernal was arrested more than a month after the attack, which left one of the victims suffering from four gunshot wounds, according to Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Heredia.
Desert Hot Springs police worked with the Coachella Valley Violent Crime Gang Task Force to identify Bernal as a suspect and arrested him on Sept. 28 near the 66000 block of Acoma Avenue.
A search warrant served at Bernal’s residence turned up “evidence related to the attempted homicide,” Heredia alleged at the time.
Bernal has remained in custody in lieu of $1 million bail since his arrest. Wednesday’s scheduled preliminary hearing will enable a judge to decide if there are grounds for a trial. He is currently housed at the Indio jail.