BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Kern County jury has sentenced Christopher Tovar to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend in Bakersfield.
Tovar was found guilty of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of firing from a vehicle in the October 4, 2024, shooting death of Rudy Herrera. Herrera had recently started dating Tovar's ex-girlfriend.
On the day of the shooting, Tovar asked Lacey Guerra to help him find Herrera. The two tracked down Herrera to a friend's house on Panama Street in Bakersfield.
Tovar fired two shots from the passenger seat at Herrera, who was standing in the front yard. Both shots missed as Herrera ran to the back of the house.
Three minutes later, Tovar returned and fired two more shots. This time both bullets hit Herrera. One struck his heart and another hit his pelvis.
Herrera died at the scene despite medical aid.
Neighbors witnessed the shooting and provided police with a suspect name. Surveillance video showed a black Ford Edge fleeing the scene.
Police identified Guerra as the driver and Tovar as the shooter.
Sentencing is set for February 24.
Co-defendant Lacey Guerra pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and faces 11 years in prison.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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