BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — A Bakersfield DUI case that left a young girl dead has been delayed. A hearing in the death of Azmeret Mayall, 6, is now set for early next year after prosecutors say the child was killed when Cesar Mendoza, 20, reportedly slammed into a Toyota Camry on East Panama Lane on…… Read More
Kern County residents are bracing for a strong storm moving into the area. Kern County Public Works has delivered sand to nine sites across the county to help people prepare. Each site has a pile of sand ready for use, and residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels. Empty bags can be bought at…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — A Bakersfield police detective charged in a federal child porn case is getting out of jail. A judge on Tuesday denied a motion by prosecutors to keep Marc Lugo, 36, locked up, ruling there are enough safeguards to protect the public. Lugo is accused of persuading a 15-year-old girl in South…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — The husband of Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez is headed to mental health treatment. Fernando Jara, 49, was granted mental health diversion on Wednesday following his arrest July 12 after a police standoff at the couple’s home on Alta Vista Drive. Jara faced charges including making criminal threats, willful cruelty to…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — Kern County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested four people accused of running a card skimming and diesel theft scheme in Buttonwillow. It happened November 6 and 7, 2025, at a truck stop on Lagoon Drive, where thousands of dollars in fraudulent fuel purchases were reported. Investigators say the suspects, three from Houston…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — Kern Medical announces the opening of its new Pediatric Emergency Department. The county hospital in east Bakersfield says the new department is a dedicated space designed to provide specialized, compassionate care for children experiencing medical emergencies. The department features pediatric treatment rooms within a child-focused environment built to meet the emergent…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — A suspected DUI driver accused of crashing into a house in east Bakersfield has taken a plea deal. The California Highway Patrol says Thomas Gonzalez was driving a 2024 Honda Accord on Gage Street October 4 when he left the road and hit a house, injuring a woman inside. Gonzales reportedly…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — A young Bakersfield girl allegedly told Kern County Sheriff’s deputies she ran away after a relative dragged her from a car. Court documents indicate the 7-year-old’s grandmother, Natalie Sandoval, reportedly left the child inside a car while she went inside Horace Mann Elementary School August 28. The girl ran away but…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — The murder trial of a Central Valley woman whose toddler died after being left inside a hot car in southwest Bakersfield has been postponed. A judge on Monday set a date for November 18 for Maya Hernandez, 21, who faces charges of murder and involuntary manslaughter after allegedly leaving her two…… Read More
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — Trial has been set for December for a Bakersfield couple accused of torture and homicide. Raya Mata, Jr., 31, and Graciela Bustamonte, 27, face numerous charges — including murder — after the body of Mata’s daughter Genesis, 8, was discovered inside a bathtub at La Quinta Inn on Riverside Drive in…… Read More
