Under the plea deal, prosecutors are expected to drop charges of burglary and violating civil rights.

Carl James Dial, 23, pleaded guilty Thursday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio to a charge of arson of a structure, and admitted sentence- enhancing allegations of using an explosive device and committing a hate crime, court records show.

INDIO, CA- A 23-year-old Palm Desert man is expected to be sentenced on Feb. 29 to six years in prison for throwing a Molotov cocktail into a Coachella Valley mosque.

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Dial has been in custody in lieu of $150,000 bail since being arrested Dec. 11 in the 700 block of Country Club Drive in Palm Desert, hours after the firebombing of the Islamic Society of the Coachella Valley.

A "Molotov cocktail-like device" was thrown into the reception area of the 1,800-square-foot Islamic Society mosque at 84650 Avenue 49, at 12:09 p.m.

Cal Fire Riverside crews contained the flames to the lobby area at 12:46 p.m., but there was smoke damage throughout the mosque. No injuries were reported.

The firebombing came nine days after a radicalized couple from Redlands killed 14 people and injured 22 others during a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino.

Dozens of threats, harassment and vandalism were reported at mosques nationwide after Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his 27-year-old wife, Tashfeen Malik, carried out their Dec. 2 attack and were killed in a shootout with officers.

– By City News Service.