A Palm Desert man was sentenced Monday to five years in prison for firebombing a local Republican club office a year ago, federal prosecutors said.
Carlos Espriu, 24, pleaded guilty in March to one count of attempted arson of a building, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
District Judge Percy Anderson also ordered Espriu to pay nearly $5,500 in restitution.
Espriu was accused of attacking the East Valley Republican Women Federated office in La Quinta shortly after 1 a.m. on May 31, 2020.
Authorities said Espriu used a metal baseball bat to break windows at the office and repeatedly tossed an incendiary device made of bottles through the window before fleeing.
Investigators identified Espriu as the suspect after the club offered a reward for information about the firebombing, which prompted several residents to give information, prosecutors said.
The firebombing caused limited damage to the office.