Inset: Victor Becerra (KMPH). Background: Kevin King (KSEE/KGPE).
A California man was cleaning a gun when a bullet went off and went through a wall – ultimately killing his neighbor as he held his 11-month-old granddaughter. Now, he has finally learned his fate.
Kevin King, 44, was sentenced on Friday to five years and four months in state prison for the death of 51-year-old Victor Becerra.
The defendant will be credited for the 968 days served, meaning he’ll serve over 2 ½ years behind bars. He pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and having an assault weapon as part of a plea deal earlier this year. He was a convicted felon, prohibiting him from having the gun in the first place.
The victim’s family reacted in court.
“A loving grandfather fatally wounded while cradling his grandchild,” Melinda Taylor, a victim services advocate, read for Becerra’s cousin. “The image of Victor dropping his granddaughter as he was shot is one that haunts us all.”
King apologized for what he had done.
“I just wanted to apologize to the family and let you know that I am very sorry for what has happened. You didn’t deserve this,” said King, local ABC affiliate KFSN reported.
His attorney called the shooting a “tragic accident.”
Beccera’s widow, Leticia Ramirez, forgave King, KFSN reported.
“Before anything, I forgive him,” Beccera’s widow, Leticia Ramirez, said through a Spanish interpreter.
The bloodshed happened on Jan. 2, 2023, police said in a press release.
King was cleaning his gun, and a bullet pierced a common wall, fatally striking Becerra as he sat at his kitchen table holding the baby girl. King fled. First responders found Becerra in the living room suffering from a single gunshot wound. He died at a hospital.
Beccera’s daughter, Noemi Ramirez, recalled the trauma of her dad dying.
“We see the baby fall out of his hands. Then one moment to another, and then slowly, he fades away,” Ramirez told KFSN. “I remember calling out to him, ‘Papi, Papi! Please, you can’t leave me!’ I was like, ‘Please wake up. You can’t leave me.’ I was like, ‘Please wake up.””
An arrest warrant was issued for King for voluntary manslaughter, child endangerment, and weapons offenses. Authorities caught up with him in Oklahoma in June 2023.
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