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
BAKERSFIELD, CA (KUZZ) — The Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly Government Relations Committee meeting Monday, November 10, 2025. Republican political consultant Cathy Abernathy and Kern County Democrat Committee chair Christian Romo will conduct an in-depth analysis of the recent special election — and discussion on what lies ahead following passage…… Read More
