A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck at 12:09 p.m. Monday west of Mettler. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake caused aftershocks in the magnitude 2 range. There are no reports of damage or injury. Officials with the Southern California Seismic Network say more aftershocks are possible in the next few days, and there’s a 5%…… Read More
Crews are battling a grass fire east of Bakersfield. The Democrat Fire broke out at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday along Highway 178 near the Upper Richbar Picnic Area. Cal Fire reports the blaze has scorched more than 450 acres and is zero percent contained Monday morning. Highway 178 is closed in both directions as crews…… Read More
The Kern County Coroner says an inmate found dead at North Kern State Prison in Delano was murdered. Officials say Enrique Gomeztagle, 31, died from asphyxiation caused by strangulation and an object blocking his airway. Prison staff found him unresponsive in his cell on January 29. He was later pronounced dead. The case is being…… Read More
A Kern County inmate is facing an extra charge after allegedly trying a unique way to escape from a jail transport bus. Sheriff’s deputies say Maminder Singh, 26, hid underneath the bus as it was leaving the court holding facility on Truxtun Avenue on May 14. The driver stopped after hearing screams. Singh was reportedly…… Read More
A woman killed in a head-on-crash in Taft has been identified. The Kern County Coroner’s Office says Brandy Naff, 38, died at the scene Monday. The California Highway Patrol says her SUV crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a big-rig. The truck driver from Tennessee suffered minor injuries. There’s no word what caused the crash.… Read More
A 38-year-old Taft woman is dead following a crash near Elk Hills. The California Highway Patrol says an SUV crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a semi-truck head-on on Taft Highway east of Tupman Road Tuesday afternoon. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver suffered minor injuries. There’s no word on…… Read More
A 32-year-old man is behind bars after an alleged attempted murder in Lamont. Kern County Sheriffs deputies say Michael Ortiz broke into a home in the 9100 block of South Fairfax Road Tuesday morning, wrapped a blanket around the victim’s head, and stole a phone and some tools. Hours later, a call about a stolen…… Read More
The Kern County coroner has revealed the cause of death for an east Bakersfield baby. The one-month-old was found unresponsive at a home on Washington Street near Potomac Avenue in late November and died several days later at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera. The coroner says the cause of death was blunt force trauma to…… Read More
The City of Bakersfield has received a $22.8 million grant to address substance abuse in Bakersfield and Kern County. The grant from the State of California’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure allows the city and county to join efforts to create a 65-bed substance use treatment facility for adults and perinatal women. In February, the Bakersfield…… Read More
A person with signs of trauma was found dead inside a vehicle near Wasco. Kern County Sheriff’s deputies responded around 9 a.m. Tuesday to the area of Dresser and Western avenues where the man was pronounced dead at the scene. No suspects have been identified or arrested. Anyone with information is asked to call the…… Read More
