1 suspect dead after pursuit from SLO ends in Kern County

Kern County Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives are investigating a pursuit of two suspects that began in San Luis Obispo and ended in Kern County where one of the suspects was found dead and the other arrested, according to a KCSO news release.

San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers attempting to stop a vehicle they believed to be a part of a homicide investigation out of Santa Barbara County, as well a carjacking out of Orange County, contacted Kern County sheriff’s deputies around 5 p.m. Wednesday as the pursuit headed into their jurisdiction, according to a KCSO news release.

The highway portion of the pursuit ended on Highway 46 near Kecks Road, where two suspects abandoned the vehicle south of Highway 46 and ran into an orchard. The CHP aerial unit tracked the men to a point but, due to heavy tree cover, lost sight of the suspects at a certain point.

The KCSO SWAT team, K-9 and air units joined in the search and helped set up a perimeter around the orchard.

After a homeowner in the area reported an ATV was stolen from his property, a witness reported two men were seen running north away from Highway 46, a few miles east of the orchard, and they might have left an ATV behind. The KCSO K-9 handlers were in the area and found the abandoned ATV, and then spotted two suspects running northbound from Highway 46, away from the ATV, and directed the CHP air unit to the location.

Law enforcement officials tracked two suspects to area near a canal where they were hiding. One suspect was taken into custody without further incident. The second suspect was found dead from a gunshot wound and a handgun was found near the body.

At this time, the circumstances of the death are unknown and the identity of the decedent has not yet been released.

No law enforcement officers fired their weapons during this incident, according to a KCSO news release.

The suspect detained is a juvenile who was booked into Juvenile Hall on an outstanding warrant.

The KCSO is working with all of the involved agencies on this case, including Lompoc Police Department, Anaheim Police Department, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara Juvenile Probation,

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol.

A Kern County jury found a man guilty Thursday of 45 felony charges related to sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation with a child 10 or younger

and possession of child pornography with a prior conviction.

The residence of Joshua Knight, 38, was searched in accordance to conditions with his parole, according to a Kern County District Attorney’s news release. More than 30 files were found which depicted Knight’s numerous sexual assaults of a minor. Videos in which children sexually assaulted each other directed by Knight were also found, according to the news release.

Knight was also found guilty of possessing methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 19 and faces 865 years to life.

The Kern County coroner’s office released the identity of one of two Bakersfield men who were found dead Tuesday.

Two people who lived at a California Veterans Assistance Foundation apartment complex died after being shot, according to the coroner’s office.

Timothy Blevins, 63, was shot in the 700 block of Decatur Street. He was found at 8:36 a.m. Tuesday, according to the coroner.

The second person’s identity was withheld by the coroner because they are attempting to notify his family. He was a 62-year-old Bakersfield man who was found dead at the same time.

The coroner’s office did not report the time of death in the reports released Thursday.

Guadalupe Mojica, 80, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder. He has not been charged as of late Thursday afternoon. He is currently in custody at the Central Receiving Facility.

The Kern County coroner’s office identified a 29-year-old Bakersfield man who died after being shot on Brundage Lane.

Jamari Deshawn Darden was shot multiple times in the 700 block of Brundage Lane. He died at 11:56 p.m. June 3 at the scene of the shooting.

Eliot Moore, 25, has been arrested on suspicion of causing his death.