Two Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2021 Shooting

Today the Tulare County Superior Court handed down the second of two life sentences in a 2021 Visalia murder. 

On July 28, 2021, at the Bowlero Bowling Alley in Visalia, defendant Derick Patel, age 25, and others accused the victims’ group of stealing a wallet. At 11:58 pm at the intersection of Caldwell and Mooney, a vehicle driven by Eliazar Guerra, age 25, and occupied by Patel lined up beside the victims’ car and a single shot was fired. One male victim was shot in the neck and died at the scene. The same bullet hit a second male victim in the neck, where a fragment remains. The wallet was discovered in Bowlero shortly after the murder.

Following the shooting, Patel told members of his group what statements to provide to the police. Through investigation, Visalia Police Department detectives located Patel and Guerra in Bakersfield the next day.

On January 26, 2022, a jury convicted Patel of first-degree murder, assault with a firearm, and two counts of dissuading a witness for reporting a crime. Each count is a felony. Patel was sentenced on May 10, 2022, to 25 years-to-life plus 3 years 8 months. On November 4, 2022, Guerra pleaded to second-degree murder and assault with a firearm. Today in Department 10, the court sentenced Guerra to 15 years-to-life in prison.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Kalina Laleva and was investigated by the Visalia Police Department.

Media inquiries can be directed to the Office of the District Attorney, County of Tulare Assistant District Attorney Dave Alavezos (559) 636-5494