BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — After several delays over the past year, a man convicted of shooting an accomplice eight times — including in his head and neck — has been sentenced to 32 years to life in prison, according to Kern County Superior Court records.
Rogelio Alvarez was found guilty just under a year ago of premeditated and deliberated attempted murder, assault with a firearm, and a misdemeanor count of theft by false pretenses. Court records show that Alvarez’s sentencing was delayed at least eight times.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said the shooting happened May 19, 2024, after Alvarez picked up the victim — described as his supposed friend — from a gas station in Bakersfield. Prosecutors said Alvarez then drove the victim and a passenger, identified as a female, to a field off Morning Drive under the guise that they were going to meet a common acquaintance.
Once the victim was outside the vehicle, Alvarez told him to give his phone to the female passenger, according to the district attorney’s office. As soon as the victim handed over the phone and turned around, Alvarez was pointing a gun at his face, prosecutors said.
The district attorney’s office said Alvarez shot the victim once in the cheek, once in the neck, and six more times in his upper body before leaving the scene with the female passenger, leaving the victim for dead.
The victim was eventually able to stand and walk to the nearest home, where homeowners called law enforcement, according to the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said Alvarez initially lied to law enforcement and claimed he did not see the victim the day of the shooting. After being informed the victim had survived and identified Alvarez as the shooter, Alvarez admitted he was present but offered a new account involving a third-party shooter that was proved false, according to the district attorney’s office.
Evidence showed Alvarez owed the victim a substantial debt and likely attempted to kill him over the money owed, prosecutors said.
Alvarez was acquitted on charges of second-degree robbery, court records show.
At the time of Alvarez’s conviction, Kern County DA Cynthia Zimmer stated, “This meticulously orchestrated attempted murder reflects a deliberate and premeditated intent to end a life and warrants the full extent of legal consequences.”