BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A Ridgecrest man who pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter for fatally stabbing a man during a fight was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in prison, according to court records.
Steven Caldwell, 45, entered the plea last month and a charge of first-degree murder was dismissed.
According to court documents, Caldwell said he acted in self-defense when he pulled a knife as he fought Derrick Demetric White, 41, near Caldwell’s home in the 200 block of West Wilson Street. He told investigators White rushed him and ran into the knife, suffering a stab wound to the neck.
White died within an hour of the incident, which occurred April 22, 2019.
