LOS ANGELES
A Palm Desert man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal arson charge and admitted that he used a Molotov cocktail in an attempt to destroy the East Valley Republican Women Federated office in La Quinta.
Carlos Espriu, 23, who has been in custody since his arrest in this case last fall, plead guilty to one count of attempted arson of a building.
During the early morning hours of May 31, 2020, Espriu broke the front windows of the Women Federation headquarters and repeatedly tossed through the windows a lighted Molotov cocktail made of three bottles he had taped together, according to officials.
In his plea agreement, officials stated that Espriu agreed to pay at least $5,426 in restitution to compensate the victim for the damage caused by the firebombing.
Espriu plead guilty during a hearing on Zoom before U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson. He scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 24.
The defendant is facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges, according to authorities.
The investigation in this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force.