This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

COD Student to be Sentenced in Deadly Palm Desert Robbery

The College of the Desert student pleaded guilty last month to a felony robbery charge. He's expected to get three years in prison.

Update 4 p.m.: Sentencing was delayed Friday for a College of the Desert student who participated in a Palm Desert break-in that ended with the fatal shooting of a COD football player by a sheriff's deputy.

Sentencing will now be on April 5.

Original story as follows:

Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A College of the Desert student is scheduled to be sentenced Friday for his role in a Palm Desert break-in that ended with the fatal shooting of a COD football player by a sheriff's deputy.

Dyrenell Kardia Robinson, 21, pleaded guilty last month to a felony robbery charge in connection with a robbery at an apartment complex in the 77000 block of Michigan Drive on Feb. 23, 2012. He has been held custody in lieu of $500,000 bail and is expected to be sentenced Friday morning to three years in prison.

Find out what's happening in Palm Desertwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Co-defendant and former COD football player Roman Robert Tausaga, 23, on Jan. 11 pleaded guilty to one count each of robbery and making criminal threats, both felonies, and was immediately sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The third suspect in the break-in, 20-year-old Frank Tanuvasa, jumped a deputy while fleeing the robbery scene and was fatally shot in the chest in the ensuing struggle, sheriff's Sgt. Joe Borja said.

Borja said the first deputy who arrived at the scene of the robbery saw three men dressed in dark clothes run from the area. He chased them on foot until they separated, then followed two suspects who ran west on Michigan Street. He lost sight of them as they ran around an apartment building, Borja said.

"As the officer turned the corner of the apartment building, he was attacked without warning by one of the two fleeing suspects," later identified as Tanuvasa, Borja said.

"During the next several moments, the officer was engaged in a life-or- death struggle with a much larger and stronger Tanuvasa," Borja said.

During the fight, Tanuvasa struck the officer with his fist, dislocating the officer's shoulder. He "(dragged) the officer to the ground and made numerous attempts to take his duty weapon from his holster. The officer was ultimately able to maintain control of his handgun and shot Tanuvasa in self- defense, fearing for his life," Borja said.

Tanuvasa, a 6-foot-6, 370-pound sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, received a single gunshot wound to the chest and later died at Eisenhower Medical Center, Borja said.

The deputy, whose name was not released, was placed on paid administrative leave, which is sheriff's department policy in deputy-involved shootings, sheriff's Cpl. Angel Ramos said.

Tausaga was arrested the day of the burglary and Robinson was arrested March 1, 2012. Both are from Palm Desert.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.