Man pleads guilty to manslaughter after fatal drunk driving in Indio

A 28-year-old man accused of driving under the influence and crashing into a guardrail on Interstate 10, killing his vehicle’s passenger, pleaded guilty today to drunken driving manslaughter.

In addition to the guilty plea, Giovanny Michel Solis Rivero admitted to a reduced sentence allegation regarding a serious felony involving serious bodily injury to a non-accomplice or use of a dangerous weapon Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio , according to the file. .

Rivero was sentenced later that morning to six years in prison, suspended, including 60 months of probation and 180 days of work release, according to Thalia Hayden of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. He was also ordered to pay restitution and not use drugs or alcohol during the probationary period.

The crash was reported at 2:05 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2023, involving a silver Toyota Camry that was found facing west, just under the Jefferson and Indio boulevards overpass, according to the California Highway Patrol.

David Torres, CHP public information officer, said the driver was westbound on Interstate 10 in Indio when he made an unsafe right turn and struck the guardrail. The accident caused fatal injuries to the passenger.

The passenger was identified by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office as Teresa Herrera, 35, of Desert Hot Springs. She was pronounced dead at 2:20 a.m.