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Four sought in east Bakersfield armed robbery

July 26, 2013, 7:32 am
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Four people are wanted for robbing an Arkansas man and his son at gunpoint.

The Kern County Sheriff's Department said the man and his son were staying at the Motel 6 on Brundage Lane near Weedpatch Highway when a woman knocked on the door around 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

The father answered the door and spoke with the woman for several minutes before two men forced their way into the room.

The victim fought with the men until one of them put a gun to his son's head. The father then complied with the suspects' orders. The suspects took the victim's wallet and keys, then met up with another woman in the parking lot and drove off in the father's SUV.

That SUV is described as a Maroon Honda Pilot with a partial Arkansas license plate of "ZR51". The plate had a picture of a woodpecker on it. Deputies are looking for two men and two women.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 861-3110.
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Tehachapi police officers file harassment lawsuit

July 26, 2013, 7:40 am
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Two Tehachapi police officers filed a lawsuit against the city Wednesday, claiming harassment for blowing the whistle on wrongdoing in the police department.

Officers Rick Disney and Peter Graff faced a hostile work environment and suffered emotional distress, according to their attorney Stephen Wainer in January. At the time, Wainer had just filed a claim against the city of Tehachapi, the first step in filing the lawsuit.

The harassment was direct retaliation, Wainer said, noting Officer Disney reported an incident of a senior officer serving alcohol to underage police explorers. Officer Graff reported a sergeant falsified time sheets, he said.

In the claim filed earlier this year, each officer asked for $1.5 million.

Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode told 17 News in January he was unable to comment due to the pending litigation.

Wainer said he planned a news conference to lay out further details on the lawsuit Friday morning.
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Local woman gets pregnant while stuck in Superstorm Sandy

July 26, 2013, 7:45 am
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Bakersfield, CA - There is a baby boom in the northeast that's being blamed on Superstorm Sandy. A small piece of that boom has stretched all the way to Bakersfield.

While on their honeymoon -- a local couple was stranded in a New Jersey hotel for about a week during the storm. Nine months later, on July 5th, the storm blew in a baby boy.

Dominic and Miranda Urbano stayed in their hotel room, without power for a day and a half, enjoying their newlywed status.

"Nobody could go outside, everyone had to stay indoors and then it just started raining a lot and that's when the hurricane came," Urbano said, "what do you do when you're out of light and you're in a hurricane you know you snuggle and what not."

No power, no lights but the sparks were flying in the Urbano's hotel room. They came to believe their son Benjamin was conceived on that stormy stay on the Jersey shore.

She said, "Everyone was saying oh you're going to have a hurricane baby, you're going to name your baby Sandy, you're going to be pregnant. I said no no no. Sure enough I was pregnant and they backtracked the days and it was one of the days when hurricane sandy hit."

They didn't name him Sandy, but mom and dad have given him a certain stormy status in the family.

"We always call him hurricane baby. We always call him hurricane baby even when he was inside. He just makes us happy. He completes us," she said.

The Urbanos say they're happy something good came out of a devastating disaster.

Urbano said, "It was cool just to see that we weren't the only people who had a baby out of a hurricane and there are tons of other people in New York, New Jersey that are having a baby around the same time we did."

Hospitals on the east coast are reporting an increase in births in recent weeks. Benjamin is the only hurricane baby we know of here in Bakersfield.
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Power plant finally coming down

July 26, 2013, 12:49 pm
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Bakersfield – What’s left of the PG&E power plant on Rosedale Highway is going out with a boom. A PG&E spokesman says Coffee Road will be closed for the implosion Saturday, Aug. 3.

The implosion is expected to happen around 5:30 a.m.

 PG&E is working to notify neighbors, but the utility isn't sure how far away the boom will be heard. Officials are also working to mitigate any problems from potential dust.

The power plant closed in 1995. The utility plans to sell the land after some work is done on soil contamination.
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Police search for sex offender

July 26, 2013, 12:58 pm
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Bakersfield – Bakersfield police are asking for help finding a parolee and high risk registered sex offender. Officials say 53-year-old Benjamin Feliz failed to report to state parole after his release from prison.

Feliz is described as a 5-foot-7, 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bakersfield Police Department at 327-7111.
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This is Bakersfield: Tribute to Bakersfield Sound

July 26, 2013, 5:23 pm
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BAKERSFIELD - Bakersfield is getting first dibs on a new album by country music stars Vince Gill and Paul Franklin. It's called "Bakersfield" and the musicians pay tribute to Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and the Bakersfield Sound.

KUZZ listeners get to hear it all in a special program Friday and Sunday.

The record label sent KUZZ a copy of the album two months ago. On it, Gill and Franklin cover five Merle songs and five Buck songs, and the radio station thought Bakersfield would enjoy the modern musicians' take on its music roots.

"The record label sent it to me, undercover, and they said listen to it, tell us what you think," said Tom Jordan, Program Director at KUZZ. "I listened to it and I went hmmm. A little light came on and I said this is something we can embrace and have fun with here in town."

Country stars Vince Gill and Paul Franklin describe the album on a YouTube clip, wanting to mimic the masters of the Bakersfield Sound.

"It goes right to the core to me of what country music is," said Franklin on the video. "This is some stuff that I think a lot of people miss hearing," said Gill. "It's two guys loving this music and doing it the best we can," said Franklin.

In an interview with KUZZ, Gill and Franklin talk about growing up with their music.

"Paul Franklin actually talks about in the interview about how his very first rock concert, Buck Owens was on that same bill," said KUZZ Music Director, Toni Marie.
    
Gill would eventually get to play with Buck, while Franklin studied the steel in the songs, a sound and style they both love.

"It can whine. It can wail. It can cry. It can chirp. It can laugh and they just wanted to showcase that," said Marie.

And, KUZZ wanted to showcase the album, weaving the interview with the artists with all ten songs, into an hour-long special. It's a reminder of the music mark Bakersfield has made and continues to.
  
"You go around Bakersfield all day long and you think, ok, I just live in Bakersfield. Well, Bakersfield is a pretty important place," said Marie.

The hour-long uninterrupted special called "This is Bakersfield" airs Friday on KUZZ at 8 p.m. It will play again at noon Sunday with CD giveaways throughout the weekend.

"Bakersfield" isn't officially released until next Tuesday. And, just announced Friday, Vince Gill and Paul Franklin are coming to Bakersfield to perform at Rabobank on October 25th. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 2nd.

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Scam or charity? Local reverend collects money

July 26, 2013, 6:16 pm
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BAKERSFIELD -  A northeast Bakersfield non-profit has been collecting money for months outside local stores. Volunteers say the money is going to help families in need, but so far the founder says none of that money has helped anyone.

Reverend Ray Grable said he's been saving the money to buy a building to distribute food and clothing. Once he has the money he says he'll start helping the public, but some who gave, say it seems like a scam.

"Hey. How you doing today? Would you like to help out with families in need today?," said Lazell Thomas, who has been collecting donations outside the Foods Co on Haley Avenue since 7:30 a.m. Friday. We spoke with him around noon. "What we trying to do is help families in need. We also feed them, clothe them, and we also try to provide shelter if you can."

But, some are skeptical.

"I've never seen him here before, but I don't know if it's legit or not," said Alexandria White of Bakersfield.

Ray's Life Ministries started collecting in May, asking for donations every day at several locations around the city. It has a non-profit license, with an address.

"Right now, we just have this one little building on Niles with food and clothes," said Grable.

But, when we went to the non-profit's address, all we found was the apartment of Reverend Ray Grable.

"You want to call me a scam please don't," said Grable, founder of Ray's Life Ministries. "I'll look straight into the camera. Give me a chance."

Grable says his organization has collected $1,800, but he says so far none of it has gone to helping needy families. Instead the money is sitting in a bank account.

"We are collecting money right now to put it in the bank to acquire a building," said Grable.

Grable said he needs a building before he can give away food, because his landlord won't let him distribute it from his unit.

"I'd love to go to the 99 Cents store and buy $500 worth of food and give it away, but my landlord will not permit this," said Grable.

Grable says a building is too expensive. He said it would cost at least $5,000 up front plus money for insurance. So, he's praying people believe he'll eventually spend the money for good.

"We want to do so much good. We want Bakersfield in the palm of our hands. We want to help them. You're going to make me cry, stop," said Grable.

Reverend Grable said he changed his phone number because of all the complaints he's received about his charity. Grable hopes to have a building in three months.

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Arvin's budget surplus

July 26, 2013, 6:20 pm
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ARVIN - In 2008, voters in Arvin approved Measure L. It increased the sales tax by one percent to eight and a quarter percent.

That generated $3 million to hire new police officers. But, there is now a $450,000 surplus.

Some people in the community think the extra money should go to projects to help Arvin's youth.


"That money should be spent on the kids,” said Salvador Partida, President of the Committee for a Better Arvin. “And, the parks where the kids play soccer and baseball, have those fixed. There are a lot of potholes, I understand, on the fields and some kids are even spraining their ankles because there are holes in the grass."


Other residents believe the city needs to grow and the money should be spent to repair roads to lure new businesses.


Arvin Mayor Jose Flores agrees with his constituents, but also wants to add two more police officers.


"You know that money was not intended to save it or put into a trust fund or anything like that,” Flores said. “That funding is specifically to provide services to improve the quality of life of our citizens and to make sure they have the protection that is needed."


City administrators plan to hold a second meeting in August to announce the projects covered by the surplus.


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Father and son robbed at gunpoint inside local motel

July 26, 2013, 6:41 pm
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BAKERSFIELD - The Kern County Sheriff's Department is looking for a group of thieves who robbed a father and son at gunpoint inside a Bakersfield motel. It happened at Motel 6 off Highway 58 and Weedpatch Highway. The motel is in an area known for travelers and truckers.

A motel guest opened his door Thursday night and said the robbers forced their way inside his room. During a violent robbery, the thieves stole the victim's wallet then drove away in his car.

"I was in my room and all I seen was a bunch of police pull up," said Luther Molina, who lives in the motel. "I asked the security what happened and she told me someone was robbed at gunpoint."

The victims were an Arkansas man and his son, passing through Bakersfield.

"An unknown female knocked on the door. He answered the door and spoke to her for several minutes," said Senior Deputy Victor Keesey, Kern County Sheriff's Department.

"While he was speaking to the woman, two Hispanic men forced entry into his room. The victim became involved in a struggle with one man. The other man told him to stop fighting because he had a gun pointed at his son's head," he continued.

Sheriff's deputies said the father eventually gave up. The four thieves took off with in the man's wallet in his maroon Honda Pilot SUV.

"The investigation is still ongoing as to whether they were specifically targeted or if the suspects had any prior information about them being there," noted Keesey.

The Motel 6 is off Weedpatch Highway, in an area known for its truck stop travel plaza.

"Usually the security locks everything down. Nobody can come in or out of here. So unless you're renting, they don't let you in at all," said Fowler.

"You have people coming and going all the time," said Keesey.

"Truckers say don't ever stay here. A lot of women. A lot of people. They steal. They open the back of the trailer," said Victor Molina, a trucker who lives in the area.

Sheriff's deputies said travelers are prime targets for thieves. When people are out of town, they often let their guard down.

"Most people, they don't leave their belongings in the hotel when they check in at night," explained Keesey. "They bring in everything and thieves do know that."

If you have any information about this incident, call the Sheriff's Department at 861-3110 or Secret Witness at 322-4040.

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Suspect in pot shop killings is arrested

July 26, 2013, 11:05 pm
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OILDALE - More than a week after two men were shot to death inside a Bakersfield pot shop, the accused gunman is under arrest.

32-year-old Aaron Patrick Burris was taken into custody Friday evening at an apartment in Oildale.

Friday was a bittersweet day for the family of one of the victims, 23-year-old Devin Daniels. On the same day he was laid to rest, Daniels' wife and mother of his three children got the news that his suspected killer had been caught.

"I was happy because I have been really stressed out with whats going on with this situation. Knowing if you guys were going to catch him, I just feel relief that we can finally get to the bottom of what really happened in this situation," said Marquise Blackmon, Daniels' wife.

Police say Burris did not resist when he was arrested

"There was no need for the SWAT team. He came out on his own will without any resistance," said Sgt. Jason Matson, Bakersfield Police Department.

Marquise Blackmon is making a plea to Burris' suspected accomplice 16-year-old Miracle Jackson.

"I just want to tell her she is young. She has a big life ahead of her. I don't know what she is going through. She needs to come forward and let everybody know what is going on and try to get her life together," said Blackmon.

Miracle Jackson is still at large.

If you have any information on her whereabouts, call Bakersfield police at 327-7111 or the Secret Witness hotline at 322-4040..
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Car crashes into home, traps Ridgecrest girl in bedroom

July 27, 2013, 2:20 pm
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An 11 year-old Ridgecrest girl was rescued from her home after a car crashed into her bedroom.

The accident happened early Saturday morning in the 200 block of Oasis Drive.

Firefighters say the girl was trapped between the car and her bed.

Fire crews, along with the Ridgecrest Police Department, were soon able to rescue the girl after they stabilized the car and home.

Fire officials say the driver of the car was extricated from the vehicle.

The driver and the 11 year-old girl were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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Legal battle ends over St. Paul's Episcopal Church

July 28, 2013, 5:29 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA-- The Episcopal Congregation of Saint Paul's is happy to have its church back after a long court battle.

In 2007, certain members of the San Joaquin Episcopal Dioceses decided to split with the National Episcopal Church.

Some of the issues were the consecration of an openly gay bishop and allowing women to become priests.

Members of the dioceses decided to join the Anglicans but they also wanted to take Saint Paul's with them which began a legal battle.

The courts ruled in favor of the National Episcopal Church and Saint Paul's was returned as of July 1st this year.

"Well our message has been one of all inclusion," said Rev. Kate Cullinane from St. Paul's Church. "Everybody is welcome even those with more conservative traditional points of view are certainly welcome in the church."

Rev. Kate Cullinane says she's been dealing with opposing viewpoints since her ordainment more than 30 years ago.

"Like, my experience has been 'oh Kate she's a priest, she's ok. I guess its ok,' so people come around gradually."

The Anglicans who left found a temporary place to worship. It's Olive Drive Church in Bakersfield.

"In fact there are several people at St. Paul's that are my friends,"said Lori Pflugh, who was part of the group that left The National Episcopal Church to join the Anglicans.

"The building was a big part of us. The church is not the building, the church is the people. So I think at this point we should try to reconcile."

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Lane closures set for Truxtun Avenue construction

July 28, 2013, 6:06 pm
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Expect nighttime lane closures on Truxtun Avenue between Commercial Way and Empire Drive.

Alternating eastbound and westbound lanes will be closed between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

One lane in each direction will remain open while work is underway. All lanes will reopen in time for the morning commute.

The closures will allow the contractor to complete work along Truxtun before the opening of the Westside Parkway.

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Gosford Road reopens after fatal crash

July 29, 2013, 4:33 am
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Bakersfield-Gosford Road reopened around 9 a.m. Monday following a fatal crash in southwest Bakersfield.
 
The street was closed for several hours between Camino Media and Kroll Way, just south of Stockdale Highway.

Bakersfield police said the driver of a car, identified by the Kern County Coroner's office as Angel Cabrera, 20, of Bakersfield, was driving at a high rate of speed around 2:30 a.m. when he crashed and hit a tree.  Officers said the car burst into flames.

Cabrera was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash is still under investigation.
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Protecting our streets

July 29, 2013, 5:05 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - You might have noticed the streets in Bakersfield looking a little slick this summer. Every five years the city of Bakersfield takes a preventative measure to save our streets by coating them with a protective layer.

"It seals," said Mike Connor a City Of Bakersfield Street Superintendent. "It's kinda like what Thompson's Water Seal would do for a wood fence or something like that. It does that for asphalt."

The oil is made up of tree resin and asphalt and usually takes about 20 minutes to seal once it is sprayed. Then you can walk or drive on it.

Connor said it is not harmful to the environment and it's not harmful to the taxpayer either. This year's City of Bakersfield budget for spraying the roads is $800,000 compared to $8 million budgeted to repave roads in need.

Mike Connor would like to see the city move to a four year spray cycle instead of the current five to six year plan.

"I would say we would probably get about another 10, 15 years of life out of the street if we could get this on a good program," Connor said.

Bakersfield wants to remind you when you see a green tag hanging from your front door to remove your car from the street when it's scheduled to be sprayed. In some instances they can re-spray but not all the time.
 
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Bakersfield business leaders discuss "fracking"

July 29, 2013, 5:42 pm
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BAKERSFIELD - By this time next year, state officials say a new layer of oil well regulations will take effect. These rules will help monitor the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing or fracking.

Monday morning, the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce held a breakfast where they spoke about the future of Kern County fracking.

According to state oil representatives, a quarter of California's oil wells are fractured. Most of those are in Kern County, but yet many feel it is a misunderstood practice.

Hydraulic fracturing is a process that's been used in Kern county for the past 60 years in places like Lost Hills and now Shafter. But recent concern about its safety has raised questions which is why the Bakersfield Chamber brought together an expert panel to talk about the process.

"I wanted to be a part of this panel so I could give a perspective to the business community about what hydraulic fracturing really is," said Suzanne Noble of the Western States Petroleum Association.

Hydraulic fracturing is the process where oil companies inject water and chemicals deep into the ground to break up rock and allow oil to flow. Some call it fracking but that's a term one of the panel's experts found inappropriate.

"Using the word fracking has a negative connotation," said Noble. "Sometimes the public responds to that before they actually know and have the information and the facts on the issue."

The panel took questions about the amount of water and chemicals used and regulations.

"We actually regulate fracking but we don't have fracking regulations," said Mark Nechodom, Director of the California Department of Conservation.

Nechodom is referring to the fact that California regulates oil drilling but not specifically the practice of fracking. But the Department of Oil and Gas and Geothermal Resources is working to change that, hoping to have regulations by this time next year.

"That is our hope," said Nechodom.

The new regulations would require oil companies to acknowledge which wells they frack and what chemicals they use, unless it's a trade secret. Will those changes affect Kern County oil companies? Yes, but regulators say it's not significant.

"It will change how operators report hydraulic fracturing as part of their oil well operation but it's not going to be a major change in terms of economic activity or burden," said Nechodom.

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Young Bakersfield man who raced cars killed in crash

July 29, 2013, 6:43 pm
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BAKERSFIELD - A young Bakersfield man was killed early Monday morning in a fiery car crash. Angel Cabrera, 20, was part of a local racing club and friends said he had a love for fast cars and a need for speed.

"I was going down Gosford and I was about to hit Ming and I just saw this car coming in my rearview and I got into the right hand lane," said Lauren Cook, who witnessed the crash.

"This car just flew past me. I was going 55. He just zoomed by. My whole car shook when he went past me," she continued.

Lauren Cook said she slowed down as Cabrera flew past her around 2:30 Monday morning as he raced through the Ming Avenue intersection.

"I saw him hit his brakes. His brake lights came on and that's when the swerving started, like he tried to slam his brakes but had lost control of the car," said Cook.

Police said Cabrera hit a tree in the center divider. His car burst into flames. The crash left Cabrera's car mangled and burned. "I honestly thought it was a motorcycle when I first saw it. It was a shock see his car like that," said Deborah Rodriguez.

The tree Cabrera hit is now just a stump. Friends think Cabrera was on his way home, driving too fast, when he lost control of his white Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

"It comes stocked high performance, so it's a pretty fast car rolling off the line," explained Cynthia Napier.

Cabrera was the youngest member of the Xclusive Racing Club in Bakersfield. Friends said he raced for the rush. "It's the adrenaline," explained Rodriguez.

Friends and family walked down the center divider Monday afternoon and picked up pieces left behind from Cabrera's car. They pulled some of those pieces out of a tree. They also set up a small memorial with flowers.

"Last time I saw him, we were at Checkers and he put on a Frank Ocean song and started dancing on top of his car. He just made us laugh," noted Rodriguez.

Friends said Cabrera was driving on worn tires. "Some friends told him I think your tires are getting bald yesterday," explained Briana Martinez.

Cabrera's friends said sprinklers on the center divider may have also played a part in the crash.

"I actually lost control out here one time before with the water out here. Usually stuff like that can happen and that's probably what happened. That's what we're thinking," said Manuel Farco.

Police don't know if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

Cabrera was arrested last year for driving under the influence of marijuana. He pleaded 'no contest' in court to a reduced charge of reckless driving.

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Kern County woman pleads guilty to student aid fraud

July 30, 2013, 7:23 am
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Fresno- A Kern County woman plead guilty Monday to mail fraud in a federal student aid fraud scheme.

Stacey Kinyada Lee, 31, of Boron joined four other defendants who have already pleaded guilty.

According to court documents, from April 2008 to March 2012, they submitted false applications for pell grants and federal student loans to community colleges, including Bakersfield College, totaling just over $203,000.

Lee's sentencing is scheduled for October 7th.

The maximum sentence is five years in prison.
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Men accused of stealing gasoline from Bakersfield business

July 30, 2013, 7:46 am
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - Two men made off with an estimated $750 worth of gasoline from a Bakersfield company in a matter of minutes, according got the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

The thieves drove up to an industrial area in Rosedale just before 1 p.m Saturday, officials said. They got through a locked gate and broke into a secure fuel tank in about five minutes.

A surveillance camera captured video of the two men shortly after they broke into the back lot of Hathaway LLC, where the oil company stores fuel for its vehicles. The suspects were seen taking bolt cutters to a lock on the fuel tank.

"They stole about 237 gallons of gas out of our company tanks in our yard," said business owner Chad Hathaway. "It's just kind of odd they came in and just covered the cameras up in a real professional manner."

Security video showed the thieves came onto the lot and immediately covered a security camera, but at one point, the thieves apparently noticed the cover fell off. One man appeared to tell his partner, who put his shirt over his head, while the other covered up the license plate on the SUV. The camera got a clear picture of the vehicle, possibly an older blue Chevy Trailblazer or GMC Jimmy.

Hathaway said he hopes someone recognizes the vehicle or the suspects and turns them in. "We all work really hard and all the people who work hard for us and try to mitigate loss for us. We are always trying to mitigate loss and for guys to come in so brazenly, its pretty offensive," said Hathaway.

According to the Kern County Sheriff's Department, fuel thefts do happen, but rarely are they this large.

If you have any information on the theft, call the Sheriff's department at 861-3110.
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Missing teenager returns home

July 30, 2013, 5:18 pm
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BAKERSFIELD - A teenager, police say was an at-risk runaway, has returned home and is safe.

Friends and neighbors of 15-year-old Patsy Lopez say she went missing around 11 p.m. on July 20th. Police believe she ran away with 37-year-old John Gonzales. Officers say Gonzales is a registered sex offender who is also a wanted parolee and considered armed and dangerous. Police say Gonzales removed his GPS ankle monitor. 

Officers have not said if Lopez was with Gonzales. However, they have not located Gonzales and are still looking for him.

He's described as a Hispanic man, 6'1", 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. If you see him or know his whereabouts, call police at 327-7111.
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