Man sentenced to life in prison for 2016 double homicide, robbery in Lamont store
A man convicted of double murder and robbery for a 2016 incident in a Lamont convenience store, which killed a father and son, was sentenced Friday to a life in prison without parole.
Darnell Hammond walked into father Heriberto and son Juan Aceves’ convenience store in Lamont and struck both with a gun. Heriberto pulled out a gun to defend himself and Hammond killed both, according to a Kern County District Attorney’s news release.
Hammond then remained in the store and collected the cash, the news release said. The other accomplices, including co-defendant Jim Langston, left Hammond behind.
Kern County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Hammond hiding in a shed with the money from the robbery next to him. Langston, who was arrested the next day, acknowledged his role as the getaway driver, the news release said.
The jury found both Hammond and Langston to be members of a criminal street gang, and the murders were committed in the furtherance of gang activity, the DA’s office said.
Langston is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office arrested five people after three individuals were shot Friday morning.
Deputies received a report about numerous shots fired in the 700 block of Rembrandt Street, according to a KCSO news release.
Deputies found multiple shell casings from two firearms, the KCSO stated. The Sheriff’s Office Air Unit arrived and found four people running from the area, who were then detained by on-the-ground deputies, the news release said.
Personnel provided medical aid to one of the detained men because he had a gunshot wound to his leg.
A man and a woman arrived at a hospital with gunshot wounds at the same time of the incident. The man was in stable condition and the woman in critical but stable condition, the news release said.
Deputies found many handguns and an AK-style rifle at a nearby residence, according to the news release. The occupants were arrested on suspicion of weapons-related charges.
Francisco Garcia, 18; Sandra Galindo, 21; Ulyses Zelayandia, 20; Uriel Ramirez, 18; and Eric Farias, 18; were all arrested in connection to this incident, according to the KCSO.
Anyone with information can call the KCSO at 661861-3110 or the Secret Witness line at 661-322-4040.
A pedestrian died in a traffic collision Friday morning in Frazier Park, according to the Fort Tejon California Highway Patrol office.
Officers received reports of a traffic collision at 5:53 a.m. on Frazier Mountain Park Road, west of Grand Terrace Estates Drive, said CHP Fort Tejon office spokesman Adriaan Garcia.
Responding officers discovered the deceased pedestrian at the scene. The identity will be released by the Kern County coroner’s office at a later time.
A man died after driving his car into a brick wall in Delano.
Damian Ray Garcia, 22, died at 5:05 a.m. Oct. 31 in the 700 block of Cecil Avenue, according to the Kern County coroner’s office.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Frazier Park man, according to a news release from the Kern County coroner’s office.
Patrick Rory Hirst, 51, was found deceased outside his residence Oct. 30 in the 3300 block of San Fernando Trial in Frazier Park. He died at 4:47 a.m., the coroner’s news release said.
The coroner released the identity of the victim in Wednesday’s Wible Road shooting.
Justin Anthony Griffin Jr., 21, died at 10:32 a.m. Wednesday, and was found in the 3300 block of Wible Road. He was the passenger in a vehicle when he was shot at an unspecified location.
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man Friday in connection to a Delano shooting that left one person dead and another critically injured.
TCSO deputies responded to Road 136, south of Avenue 12 near Delano, at about 8:30 p.m. Monday for a shooting. Two men were shot multiple times, according to the TCSO.
Fermin Edindolfo Hernandez, 47, of Earlimart died at the scene. Another man whose name was not released was taken by helicopter to a hospital. He is in stable, but critical condition, TCSO said.
Homicide detectives linked Joaquin Ayala, 37, of Earlimart, to the shooting. He had arrived at Adventist Health Delano, claiming to be shot. Ayala was treated and released, though the TCSO did not release the cause behind Ayala’s injury.
Ayala has been arrested and booked into Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial facility on charges of homicide. He is being held without bail, according to the TCSO.
Anyone with information about this case can contact Detective Dave Gutierrez or Sgt. Bryan Clower with the TCSO at 559-733-6218. Anonymous information can be emailed to TCSO@ tipnow.com or calling 1-800-TIPNOW.