CALIFORNIA—The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced that on Friday, August 7, that David Adolph Bernal, 47, of El Monte was charged with sexually assaulting and killing Mary Lindgren, 67.
Lindgren was residing at an assisted living facility located on the 800 block of West San Bernardino Road, in Covina during the time of the assault, which occurred almost 25 years ago.
Bernal has been charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegations, that Bernal committed the crime during a rape, sodomy, and burglary. He was been scheduled to be arraigned in court on Friday in Department 30, of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Beth Silverman, the Deputy District Attorney of the Major Crimes Division’s Cold Case Unit is prosecuting the case.
On January 19, 1996, the defendant is accused of entering into an assistant living facility where Lindgren was allegedly raped, severely beaten, and strangled to death. Prosecutors also indicated that DNA evidence linked Bernal to the murder.
He faces life in prison or the death penalty without the possibility of parole if he is convicted as charged. A decision will be made on whether to seek capital punishment later. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
