Bakersfield news

• Takata airbags prompt largest auto recall in history

  19-05-2015 23:53
  
  Washington, D.C. -- Takata is nearly doubling the size of its already massive recall for faulty airbags, making it the largest auto recall in history.        The company has already recalled airbags used in about 18 million vehicles for the problem. This move will bring that number up to about 34 million autos. That is nearly one out of every seven cars on U.S. roads today.        The announcement was made Tuesday a
  
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• 'Sadistic monster' gets life in prison for Bakersfield rapes

  19-05-2015 23:49
  
  An east Bakersfield serial rapist was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to life in prison, plus additional years, with no parole.
  
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• Bakersfield serial rapist gets life with no parole

  19-05-2015 23:49
  
  An east Bakersfield serial rapist was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to life in prison, plus additional years, with no parole.
  
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• New $126M justice facility coming to Kern County

  19-05-2015 23:37
  
  Today represents a new era in Kern County's justice system, as officials break ground on a new $126.7 million justice facility several miles north of Bakersfield.
  
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• Deputies searching for homicide suspect

  19-05-2015 23:00
  
  The Kern County Sheriff's Office is asking the public's assistance in identifying a person of interest in an ongoing homicide investigation.
  
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• Man killed in head on crash with trash truck

  19-05-2015 22:37
  
  TEHACHAPI, CA- The California Highway Patrol says a Tehachapi man was killed when his car went head on with a garbage truck in Golden Hills.It happened about 6:30 Tuesday morning.CHP says a 50-year-old male was driving west on Golden Hills Blvd. when for unknown reasons his car crossed into on coming traffic.Jorge Garcia was driving a Benz Sanitation trash truck east and tried to avoid the car before the crash, according to the CHP. The driver of the car died at the scene.Garcia was taken
  
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• Masked Rapist sentenced to life without parole plus 423 years to life

  19-05-2015 22:18
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Billy Ray Johnson has been sentenced to life without parole for a series of rapes in the summer of 2013.Johnson was found guilty on 24 counts in April.Prosecutors say he broke into four homes, raped three women, molested an 11-year-old, and assaulted victims with a gun.
  Johnson's attorney had filed a motion for a new trial because after jurors were dismissed, Judge Gary Friedman offered condolences to a female juror whose grandfather passed away.
  The defense said the juror
  
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• Masked Rapist sentenced to life without parole

  19-05-2015 22:18
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Billy Ray Johnson has been sentenced to life without parole for a series of rapes in the summer of 2013.Johnson was found guilty on 24 counts in April.Prosecutors say he broke into four homes, raped three women, molested an 11-year-old, and assaulted victims with a gun.
  Johnson's attorney had filed a motion for a new trial because after jurors were dismissed, Judge Gary Friedman offered condolences to a female juror whose grandfather passed away.
  The defense said the juror
  
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• Prostitute pleads guilty in overdose death of Google exec

  19-05-2015 22:02
  
  A California prostitute charged with killing a Google executive with an overdose of heroin aboard his yacht pleaded guilty Tuesday to involuntary manslaughter and administering drugs.
  
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• Los Angeles council considers $15 minimum wage

  19-05-2015 21:59
  
  The Los Angeles City Council is considering a measure that would increase the minimum wage in the city over a period of years to $15 an hour.
  
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• Los Angeles City Council votes for $15 minimum wage

  19-05-2015 21:59
  
  The Los Angeles City Council has voted to raise the minimum wage in the city to $15 an hour by 2020, making it the largest city in the nation to do so.
  
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• Theme parks turning aging coasters into new thrill rides

  19-05-2015 21:55
  
  Six Flags theme parks in New England and Southern California havetransformed classic wooden coasters at each park by adding steel trackthat allows them to twist and flip upside down like never before.
  
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• Oakland airport baggage handlers charged with pot smuggling

  19-05-2015 21:46
  
  Federal authorities say three baggage handlers at Oakland International Airport are among 14 people charged as part of a marijuana smuggling ring.
  
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• Drought Emergency food distributions continue

  19-05-2015 21:44
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Families impacted by the drought will continue to get food assistance.The CAPK Food Bank will continue distributing emergency pre-packaged food boxes to families affected by the drought this month.The Community Action Partnership of Kern will be distributing 30 pound boxes filled with food to families in need.Last year, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to approve $687 million in emergency drought relief including $25 million for food assistance in the Central Valley
  
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• Officer-involved shooting follows bank robbery, chase

  19-05-2015 20:22
  
  An officer-involved shooting Tuesday morning followed a bank robbery andsuspect chase, according to Bakersfield police Sgt. Joe Grubbs.
  
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• BPD: Officer-involved shooting after bank robbery

  19-05-2015 20:22
  
  An officer-involved shooting has occurred following a bank robbery, according to Bakersfield police Sgt. Joe Grubbs.
  
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• Police shoot bank robbery suspect after chase

  19-05-2015 20:19
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A man shot by police after robbing a downtown bank Tuesday according to Bakersfield police.It started at the Wells Fargo at 23rd and M streets where police say the suspect robbed the bank at 10:18 p.m.The suspect fled in white Chevy Impala and was spotted by police at Highway 178 and P Street.Police say they chased the suspect to East 18th and Owens Streets where the suspect crashed his car into a tree at 10:23 a.m.Police say that's when an unknown number of officers fired at t
  
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• Police shoot at bank robbery suspect after chase

  19-05-2015 20:19
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A man was shot at by police after robbing a downtown bank Tuesday according to Bakersfield police.It started at the Wells Fargo at 23rd and M streets where police say the suspect robbed the bank at 10:18 p.m.The suspect fled in white Chevy Impala and was spotted by police at Highway 178 and P Street.Police say they chased the suspect to East 18th and Owens Streets where the suspect crashed his car into a tree at 10:23 a.m.Police say that's when an unknown number of officers fir
  
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• KCSO seeks 'person of interest' in Halloween homicide

  19-05-2015 19:46
  
  Authorities want help locating a person of interest in a homicide investigation.
  
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• KCSO: Man is no longer a 'person of interest' in Halloween homicide

  19-05-2015 19:46
  
  The Kern County Sheriff's Office said late Tuesday, May 19, that thisman has been located and interviewed and is no longer considered aperson of interest.
  
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• Mountain lion captured near homes gets released into wild

  19-05-2015 19:17
  
  Andrew Hughan, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said Tuesday that the animal was safely sedated and then freed at 10:30 p.m. Monday.
  
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• BFD: 1-year-old girl nearly drowns

  19-05-2015 19:14
  
  A 1-year-old girl is in critical condition after nearly drowning, according to the Bakersfield Fire Department.
  
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• 1-year-old girl dies after being found in swimming pool

  19-05-2015 19:14
  
  A 1-year-old girl died Tuesday morning after being found at the bottom of a swimming pool the night before.
  
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• Deputies hoping to identify person of interest in murder

  19-05-2015 18:39
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- Deputies are hoping someone will recognize a person of interest in an unsolved murder.Kern County Deputies say Eduardo Medina,18, was shot to death at a Halloween part last year.
  Now, they are putting out a photo of a person they want to talk to in connection to the case.It happened at a vacant home on Kentucky Street near Oswell and Niles Streets.If anyone has information on the identity of the person in the photothey are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 661-86
  
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• Baby in critical condition after near drowning

  19-05-2015 18:18
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A one year girl is in critical condition after a near-drowning in southwest Bakersfield.The Bakersfield Fire Department says it happened after 8:30 Monday night at a home on Hallisey Court. That's near Akers and Wilson Roads just north of Thompson Junior High.Bakersfield police and fire were called to the house.
  Officers found the one year old without a pulse and performed CPR.
  They were able to get a the child's heart beating again.
  She is at Mercy Southwest Hospital, aga
  
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• Baby dies after being pulled from backyard pool

  19-05-2015 18:18
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A one year girl is in critical condition after a near-drowning in southwest Bakersfield.The Bakersfield Fire Department says it happened after 8:30 Monday night at a home on Hallisey Court. That's near Akers and Wilson Roads just north of Thompson Junior High.Bakersfield police and fire were called to the house.
  Officers found the one year old without a pulse and performed CPR.
  They were able to get a the child's heart beating again.
  She is at Mercy Southwest Hospital, aga
  
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• The challenges of grandparents raising grandchildren

  19-05-2015 15:01
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA.-Five percent of Kern children under 18 lived in the care of a grandparent in 2012, according to the latest statistics from the Kern County Network for Children. That's compared to three percent of California children living with grandparents.
  Local grandparents make the sacrifice to raise their grandchildren in order to give the next generation a better life.
  "I couldn't fathom to see them in the system so I said I'd rather just take them all myself," said Bakersfield
  
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• Unsolved murder of 25 years frustrates family, police

  19-05-2015 09:04
  
  Jessica Martinez, just 4 years old, was murdered 25 years ago. Police have yet to solve the case.
  
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• Unsolved murder of 25 years frustrates Bakersfield police

  19-05-2015 09:04
  
  Jessica Martinez, just 4 years old, was murdered 25 years ago. Police have yet to solve the case.
  
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• 25 year-old unsolved murder case frustrates police, afflicts victim's family

  19-05-2015 09:04
  
  Four year-old Jessica Martinez was murdered 25 years ago.Police have yet to solve the case.
  
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• What's behind 55 mph speed limits on Bakersfield streets?

  19-05-2015 08:43
  
  A number of Bakersfield streets have a speed limit of 55 mph. That raises questions for some drivers, but traffic engineers say they follow state rules to set maximum speeds.
  
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• Fundraiser for Paula Hernandez

  19-05-2015 08:26
  
  SHAFTER, CA - It was Thursday, May 7 around 10:30 in the morning when officials say the eighth grader collapsed after reportedly feeling light headed at the beginning of P.E. When first responders arrived, they said her heart stopped and she wasn't breathing. Hernandez was pronounced dead a short time later at Mercy Southwest Hospital. The next day principal Shirden Prince of Richland Junior High School addressed a letter to parents asking for a $1 donation from each student to help with funera
  
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• HERB BENHAM: Mauled woman recounts tale 11 years later

  19-05-2015 08:16
  
  In June, it will be 11 years since Arvin’s Shannon Parker was mauled by a mountain lion in Sequoia National Forest. It’s one of those stories that has legs and a long tail, not only because of the injuries Parker suffered (she lost her right eye, had 312 lacerations and 11 operations) but in the public’s fascination with the event. Parker will appear in “Mauled” on the Animal Planet at 8 p.m. Thursday. The show was shot in Washington, D.C., in November. It has inter
  
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• One wanted for questioning in connection with fatal shooting in east Bakersfield

  19-05-2015 07:34
  
  Sheriff’s detectives are searching for one of two people who were captured on surveillance footage running from the scene of a fatal shooting in late March. Martha Noriega is wanted for questioning in connection with the March 29 death of 51-year-old Nicolas Gomez.
  
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• Worth Noting in health: Phone app helps us see signs of stroke

  19-05-2015 07:30
  
  An app that could save your life: A mobile phone application is available free of charge to help people learn the warning signs of a stroke. The free Spot a Stroke F.A.S.T. app for iOS and Android is available in English and Spanish and includes a stroke warning sign quiz, high blood pressure chart and a searchable map of hospitals recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
  
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• New 822-bed jail will bring challenges for county

  19-05-2015 07:28
  
  Kern County breaks ground Wednesday on a new 822-bed detention facility at Lerdo Jail. The facility will expand Kern's ability to incarcerate the most challenging county prisoners while offering space for new programs aimed at helping inmates rehabilitate themselves and stay out of custody for good.
  
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• Impartial survey first step to saving libraries, group tells advocates

  19-05-2015 07:24
  
  EveryLibrary, a nonprofit group dedicated to running library tax campaigns, visited Bakersfield Wednesday to talk about the future of libraries in Kern County. They left library officials and library supporters with the clear understanding that a quality, impartial survey of the Kern County Library system's needs is the first step to figuring out how to meet those needs.
  
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• Toddler may have drowned in pool in SW

  19-05-2015 06:18
  
  Bakersfield City Firefighters responded to a home on Hallisey Court in southwest Bakersfield just before 8:30 p.m. Monday evening for a report of a 1-year girl who had drowned in a pool.
  
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• Flame resistant garments in question

  19-05-2015 05:30
  
  Over the past week 23ABC has been in contact with a representative from Underwriters Laboratories, or UL. 
  
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• Bakersfield Community Theatre ransacked

  19-05-2015 03:54
  
  California's longest continuous running community theater is right here in Bakersfield. However, this weekend put that title in jeopardy.
  
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• Seth's story: Near drowning changes lives, prompts will to help

  19-05-2015 03:51
  
  The Paschal family of Bakersfield had to learn hard lessons when their 21-month-old son Seth experienced a near-drowning incident in 2002.
  
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• Seth's story: Near drowning changed lives, prompts will to help

  19-05-2015 03:51
  
  The Paschal family of Bakersfield had to learn hard lessons when their 21-month-old son Seth experienced a near-drowning incident in 2002.
  
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• Bakersfield leaders look to fight synthetic drugs

  19-05-2015 03:19
  
  The Bakersfield City Council met Monday to discuss the city’s stance on synthetic drugs, namely spice and bath salts.
  
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• Fines in the future? Water restrictions tighten

  19-05-2015 02:54
  
  Emergency water restrictions were put in place in the City of Bakersfield on April 23, 2015, so when will fines follow?
  
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• Some stores at Outlets at Tejon to offer military discounts

  19-05-2015 02:11
  
  Some retailers at Outlets at Tejon will launch year-round military discounts this Memorial Day weekend.
  
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• Shafter man gets 17 years for meth trafficking

  19-05-2015 01:57
  
  Santos Acevedo Gutierrez, 41, of Shafter, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neil to 17 years and six months in prison and the forfeiture of $10,123 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
  
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• Bakersfield woman gets prison for real estate fraud conspiracy

  19-05-2015 01:57
  
  A Bakersfield woman was sentenced Monday in federal court for her role in a mortgage fraud scheme.
  
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• Bill allowing beer bikes advances in California Legislature

  19-05-2015 01:54
  
  California lawmakers have advanced a bill that would allow so-called beer bikes to operate on streets, but leaves cities to decide if alcohol is allowed on board.
  
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• Former real estate agent sentenced to more than two years in prison for role in mortgage fraud scheme

  19-05-2015 01:53
  
  Arlene Jeanette Mojardin, 32, of Bakersfield, was sentenced Monday to two years and six months in prison for conspiring to commit bank fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme.
  From 2007 to 2010, Mojardin conspired with others to use straw buyers to purchase residential properties in Bakersfield, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner. They paid straw buyers to purchase properties developed by Jara Brothers Investments a
  
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• CHP officer assaulted during DUI stop

  19-05-2015 01:31
  
  BAKERSFIELD, CA- A California Highway Patrol officer was assaulted as he tried to arrest a suspected drunk driver Monday.It happened in Oildale as the officer was conducting a roadside sobriety test in Oildale this afternoon.The CHP says 47-year-old Nelson Melendez from Pacoima tried to get back in his vehicle and a struggle ensued with an officer at the scene.
  The officer suffered a few scrape and Kern County firefighters responded but the officer was not seriously injured.Melendez has be
  
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