San Diego man, 19, sobs as he’s jailed for helping friend shoot homeless woman, 68, dead with a pellet gun during warped ‘HOBO HUNT’

A San Diego teen cried in court as he was sentenced for his role in the death of a homeless woman who was allegedly shot to death by his friend with a pellet gun.

Ryan Hopkins, 19, pleaded guilty in August to driving suspected gunman William Innes, 18, to where Annette Pershal, 68, was sleeping on the street in the early hours of May 8.

Pershal was shot in the head, leg and torso, with metal bullets being loaded into the air gun and also rupturing her aorta, in what Inness reportedly described to friends as a “bum hunt.”

As he was given a three-year suspended sentence on Saturday, Hopkins tearfully told the homeless woman's family: “I'm sorry for all of you and for the pain you have to endure… I'm sorry we're here today.” '

Ryan Hopkins, 19, cried as he was given a three-year suspended sentence for his role in the fatal shooting of homeless woman Annette Pershal, 68, in May

Pershal, affectionately known as “Granny Annie” in the California neighborhood where she lived for seven years, died after being shot by metal bullets loaded into a pellet gun

Alleged gunman William Innes (pictured after his arrest) is charged with first-degree murder, with prosecutors claiming he told friends before Pershal's shooting that he was going on a 'bum hunt'

Innes will go on trial this month for Pershal's murder, with the preliminary inquiry set to reveal the chilling text message he had recently sent to friends, including Hopkins, that read: 'I'm going on a hobo hunt with a pellet gun.'

While Innes is charged with first-degree murder, Hodges was charged with aiding and abetting assault with a deadly weapon, as his attorneys argued he did not know what Innes was planning when he drove the alleged shooter.

His lawyer Vikas Bajaj argued that Hopkins was then trying to connect to the car's Bluetooth, before he heard Innes say 'look at this'.

The prosecutor countered that Hopkins had purposefully driven Innes to the spot next to Innes, and appeared to be waiting for her pained reaction when she was struck.

“He drove himself and his co-defendant across the street, stopped right in front of Ms. Pershal who was shot, and they watched for 15 to 20 seconds to see if they hit their target,” the prosecutor said.

As his client sobbed next to him, Bajaj also took the opportunity to condemn the senseless shooting.

'Shooting at someone who is helpless and vulnerable, sleeping on the ground? That's disgusting,” he said.

Pershal was hit in the head, leg and torso by the pellet gun, with one bullet also rupturing her aorta, and she died in May after being in a coma three times.

Hopkins (pictured after his arrest) and Innes were arrested in August following further investigation into the incident after a coroner ruled Pershal's death a homicide.

Police found Pershal unconscious on the street where she lived for about seven years, and was reportedly known as a friendly and harmless person nicknamed 'Granny Annie'.

She was rushed to the hospital, where “doctors observed that it appeared the woman had been shot multiple times with a pellet gun” containing metal bullets, according to court documents.

After being in a coma for several days, it was determined that “the woman's injuries were not survivable,” and she succumbed to her injuries.

Coroners officially ruled the death a homicide on July 31, and further investigation led them to Hopkins and Innes, who were detained in August.

Both teens initially pleaded not guilty when arrested and both were charged with murder, but Hopkins pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aiding and abetting assault with a deadly weapon.

In addition to his first-degree murder charge, Innes is also charged with possessing an assault weapon, which is illegal in California, and failing to comply with state law designed to track firearms by requesting serial numbers.

Tributes poured in for Pershal following her shooting death, with her daughter Brandy Nazworth narrating The guard she was a beloved sight for locals in her Serra Mesa neighborhood.

“She was a grandmotherly figure and she carried her title of 'Granny Annie' very strongly,” she said.

“She wouldn't bother anyone. She loved the neighborhood and I know she loved the community,” Nazworth added ABC 10.