80-year-old mugged at bakersfield car wash

The investigation continues after an 80-year-old woman was assaulted at a car wash in southwest Bakersfield. Police responded Friday morning to Mister Car Wash in the 3200 block of Panama Lane to find Patricia Blackwood lying face-down on the pavement. Authorities say she suffered several injuries trying to chase down a woman who stole her…Read More

students protest ice raids

Students from several high schools in the Kern High School District walked out of class Wednesday morning and made their way to downtown Bakersfield to protest the recent ICE raids and deportations throughout California. District officials said they were aware of the impending walkout and sent a message to parents the day before. About 1,000…Read More

man convicted after fatal stabbing in wasco

A 25-year-old man has been found guilty of murder in the stabbing death of another man in Wasco. Aaron Garcia was convicted Tuesday for killing Jose Aleman, 24, in 2021. Aleman was stabbed several times in the 800 block of Broadway Street on May 3, 2021 and died the next day at Adventist Health Delano.…Read More

name change for bakersfield venue

Another name change is pending for a major Bakersfield venue. Naming rights for Bakersfield’s downtown arena and convention center ended in January, meaning the venue will now be called Dignity Health Arena. The home of the Bakersfield Condors and the center for many of the city’s and county’s largest events was once known as Centennial…Read More

Hearing postponed for man suspected of possessing child porn

A preliminary hearing in the case of a Bakersfield man charged with possession of child pornography has been postponed until April 30. Joseph Maretich, 65, was arrested in October 2024 after an employee in the Bakersfield Police Department’s digital forensics unit reportedly noticed what appeared to be child pornography on Maretich’s phone which was being…Read More

three arrested for east bakersfield murder

Three men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder of a 21-year-old man at Potomac Park. Kern County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a shooting at the park in east Bakersfield on February 4, 2025 to find Rolando Vargas shot dead. On Monday, deputies arrested Isaac Barraza, 19, for Vargas’s murder. Mario…Read More

poll puts ellis ahead in state assembly race

A new survey conducted by Guidant Polling and Strategy finds Stan Ellis leading the race for the upcoming special election in California Assembly District 32. Ellis holds a twenty-two point advantage over his opponents with about three weeks to go before the election. The poll, conducted between February 4 and 5, 2025, surveyed 637 likely…Read More

man with laser enters plea

A Bakersfield man pleads guilty to shining a laser beam at a Kern County sheriff’s helicopter. Federal prosecutors say Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, struck the helicopter twelve times with a “dangerously bright” beam from a laser pointer, hampering the pilot’s vision in September 2023. He faces five years in prison when he’s sentenced May 20.Read More

woman accused of incident with american flag appears in court

woman accused of incident with american flag appears in court

A woman accused of destroying the American flag at Hart Park was arraigned on Monday. Chrystal Aguilar, 24, faces charges including resisting arrest, vandalism, and battery after authorities say she took down the American flag from the flag pole, threw it in the mud, and raised the Mexican flag at the entrance to the park…Read More