Victim's family forgives Fresno man who fired deadly stray bullet after he apologizes in court

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) - A moving exchange played out at the Fresno County Courthouse Friday as a widow came face-to-face with the man convicted of killing her husband last year.

"Before anything, I forgive him," Leticia Ramirez said through a Spanish interpreter.

She added that Kevin King should now ask for forgiveness from God for the shooting death of Victor Becerra.

King stood with his attorney as Ramirez told the judge about the hole King ripped through her family.

"(He was) a great father (and a) wonderful grandfather to my granddaughter," Ramirez said.

Becerra was holding his granddaughter when a bullet pierced through the wall of his apartment and hit him in his temple.

Prosecutors say King fired the deadly shot from inside his unit that shared a wall with Becerra's apartment.

The dramatic scene unfolded near Blythe Avenue and Austin Way in Fresno County in January 2023.

"It's just a very, very tragic case," Judge Mark Cullers said.

King was on the loose for more than six months after the shooting.

Sheriff's deputies arrested him in Oklahoma and extradited him to Fresno.

At first, King denied all six charges against him, and the case appeared set for trial.

But in August, King pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and having an assault weapon.

On Friday, he offered an apology altogether.

"I just wanted to apologize to the family and let you all know that I'm very sorry for what has happened," King said.

"I wish none of this ever happened. You didn't deserve this."

It was King's final chance for remorse before the judge sentenced him.

As Action News first reported in September, Judge Cullers has been contemplating the case for months.

King will now serve five years and four months in state prison.

"I don't think there's really any sentence that I can give that will, as you heard, repair this family," Judge Cullers said.

King's defense attorney, Miles Harris, told Action News the entire incident was a "mistake" that happened while King was cleaning his gun.

The victim's family says King was a previously convicted felon, which made it illegal for him to have a gun.