Suspect in homicide arrested
Police have arrested a man believed to be connected with a suspected homicide last week in south Bakersfield.
Lucifer Darnell Pierce, 39, was arrested by the Bakersfield Police Department for the suspected shooting death of Mubarek Saleh Alnajar, 30, BPD said in a news release.
The victim’s body was found the evening of Jan. 13 in the parking lot of an apartment complex located at 1718 Panama Lane, according to a report from the Kern County coroner’s office.
Police arrested the suspect Wednesday morning. According to BPD, Pierce resisted arrest and was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm.
Officers used minor force to take him into custody and he was booked into the Kern County Jail for charges associated with the homicide and parole violation, BPD said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the BPD at 327-7111.
Two women were arrested Tuesday night after an alleged car chase that began in Bakersfield, led law enforcement down Highway 99 and ended with the women’s car crashing into a California Highway Patrol vehicle just south of Gorman.
According to a news release from the Bakersfield Police Department, the chase began just before 11 p.m. when officers attempted to pull over a vehicle for driving recklessly in the area of Easton Drive at California Avenue.
BPD stopped pursuing the car on southbound Highway 99 for public safety concerns and the “speed and erratic driving” of the vehicle, the news release stated. The California Highway Patrol and Kern County Sheriff’s Department helicopter continued to pursue the vehicle, however.
The suspects were taken into custody at Highway 138 after striking a CHP vehicle on southbound Interstate 5.
Police said no injuries were reported.
The car in the chase had been previously reported stolen, BPD said.
According to BPD, Heather Torres, 30, was arrested on suspicion of auto theft, felony evading and outstanding arrest warrants for narcotics and weapons violations.
The passenger in the car, Phylicia Mitchell, 38, was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, and outstanding arrest warrants for violating post-release community supervision and firearms violations, BPD said.
A Fresno woman has been arrested on suspicion of a slew of alleged human trafficking charges in connection with a Bakersfield resident, police said.
The 17-year-old victim has been recovered and reunited with her family.
Javonna Lewis, 22, of Fresno was arrested Jan. 15 with the assistance of the Fresno Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium, according to a Bakersfield Police Department news release. Lewis was booked into the Kern County Jail on suspicion of torture, kidnapping, human trafficking with force, pandering of a minor and penetration with a foreign object with force.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective J. Montgomery at 326-3870.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man in east Bakersfield who was allegedly operating a chop shop and in possession of stolen vehicles and farm equipment.
According to a news release from the KCSO, the agency’s Rural Crime Investigation Unit arrested Jose Ruiz, 24, on Jan. 14 in the 1300 block of E. 19th Street at Miller Street. Detectives located multiple stolen trailers, a stolen vehicle and a stolen forklift. Total value of the recovered vehicles and trailers was more than $42,200, the news release stated.
The agency was alerted to the property following an alleged theft of trailers and tractors last week in the area of Weedpatch Highway and Redbank Road, the KCSO said.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the KCSO 861-3110 or the Secret Witness Line at 322-4040.
The Bakersfield Police Department said three officers involved in a shooting in October acted within the department’s policy and legal requirements.
Detective Randy Petris, Senior Officer John Weyer and Officer Nghia Duong have returned to active duty, BPD said in a Wednesday news release. The incident was reviewed by BPD’s Critical Incident Review Board, the news release stated.
The officers were involved in an Oct. 13 shooting in the area of East 18th and Baker streets.
Jose Marcos Ramirez, 27, was shot by an officer at 8:57 a.m. Ramirez had allegedly stabbed his mother multiple times and was armed with a knife when officers encountered him, according to BPD.
In a body-worn camera video released by BPD after the incident, officers were advised that Ramirez was schizophrenic. The video depicts multiple officers coming into contact with Ramirez and instructing him to drop the knife.
One officer is shown to use two less-than-lethal munitions, or foam bullets, on Ramirez. In the video, Ramirez can be heard challenging the officers to shoot him. Three officers discharged their firearms.
BPD’s full video can be viewed here: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=Sa2JGlxKNUQ&feature=youtu. be
A Kern County Sheriff’s Office Critical Incident Review Board determined a deputy was within department policy when he shot a man while serving a search warrant at an illegal casino on E. California Avenue last month.
According to a news release from the KCSO, Deputy Brandon Geherty has returned to active duty following an investigation by the review board.
He shot a man at 2407 E. California Ave., just east of Mt. Vernon Avenue, at 9:28 p.m. Dec. 15. The man was taken to a hospital, where he was in stable condition at the time of the shooting.
Here is a video presentation of the incident, provided by the KCSO: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8VRHXoS2TQ0