Bakersfield man pleads guilty to child pornography charges

A Bakersfield man pleaded guilty Monday to receiving and distributing more than 600 images of child pornography across six years.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Marcus Tatum, 31, received and distributed these images of children under the age of 12 from February 2012 to March 2018. These images showed children engaging in sexual and violent sexual conduct.

Tatum will be sentenced on April 1 and could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting Tatum’s case. The case was investigated by the Kern County’s Sheriff’s Office, the FBI and Homeland Security.

A Wasco man pleaded guilty Monday to charges associated with the identity theft

of more than 125 people and credit card fraud of more than $825,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Miguel Leyva, 36, stole the personal information, such as home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, of more than 125 people from health care providers in Kern County in order to open several credit cards. He also stole checks from companies in Kern County to pay off the credit cards.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that his partner, Karina Arceo, participated in the crime with Leyva. However, charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft are pending against Arceo.

Leyva pleaded guilty to using these credit cards for tickets to live events, travel expenses, designer clothing, home appliances and automobile accessories from February 2016 to August 2022.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Leyva and Arceo would often resell their items for cash to pay off their credit cards as well. The investigation was handled by the FBI.

Leyva could face up to 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge in addition to a mandatory two-year sentence for identity theft at his April 1 sentencing.

A campus security supervisor at Arvin High School pleaded guilty Monday to making

and mailing explosives and explosive materials via Instagram with the help of a high school student from Bakersfield.

Angelo Jackson Mendiver, 27, of Bakersfield sold explosives to customers in various states, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In June, the FBI found more than 500 pounds of explosive materials and tools to build explosives at Mendiver’s home.

They also found tools and 500 pounds of explosive materials at the high school student’s home. The FBI worked with the Bakersfield Police Department on the investigation.

Investigators also found pictures and videos that Mendiver sent through Instagram to the student with the statement that “homemade kills all consumer.”

Mendiver was also found to have lied to investigators and could be fined $250,000 and spend five years in prison for each count at his sentencing on April 1.

A motorcyclist died after he hit a rock and was thrown from his vehicle around 4 p.m.

Sunday on Highway 178 near the Southern California Edison Powerhouse #1.

A 54-year-old man from Lake Isabella was riding his 2005 Harley-Davidson motorcycle east on Highway 178 when he veered off the road for an unknown reason, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A CHP report said the man, whose identity has not been released, was driving at an unknown speed but confirmed that drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the crash.

A teenage girl who had been playing inside a bounce house at Jastro Park in October

died of hyperthermia, the Kern County Coroner’s Office reported Monday.

Jacqueline Dominguez, 16, of Bakersfield became unresponsive on Oct. 8 and was taken to Mercy Hospital. According to the Coroner’s Office, she died of overexposure to the extreme heat and her death is considered an accident. The temperature that day rose to 99 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.