Prosecution’s key witness indicted, arrested in death of CDCR counselor
The star witness who testified in a preliminary hearing against the accused murderer of corrections counselor Benny Alcala Jr. has been indicted and arrested in Alcala’s death, the Kern County Public Defender’s Office confirmed Wednesday.
A grand jury was convened by the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and jurors indicted Sebastian Parra, 23, of first-degree murder and second-degree attempted robbery charges Dec. 22. Parra was arrested Tuesday and is held on no bail.
In an October preliminary hearing in the case of the man earlier accused of the murder, 29-year-old Robert Pernell Roberts, Parra testified he’d slept at The Park at River Walk and struck up an acquaintance with Roberts. Parra said he saw Roberts and Alcala walk away together shortly before a gunshot rang out Aug. 24.
Roberts has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree attempted robbery and possessing a firearm as a felon in Alcala’s death.
Kern County DA Cynthia Zimmer declined to comment on Parra’s indictment. A Bakersfield Police Department investigator on Alcala’s case did not respond to a request for comment through a spokesman.
DAs typically file charges after getting investigations from law enforcement and defendants then have a preliminary hearing to determine what charges, if any, they face at trial.
An indictment is simply another way a person could face charges, circumventing the preliminary hearing. In Parra’s case, 19 jurors heard evidence presented by deputy district attorneys without any cross examination.
They decided Parra could be bound for trial on murder and attempted robbery.
According to the indictment, jurors may have heard evidence from up to 46 people, including civilians, BPD personnel, a coroner, Kern County Regional Crime Laboratory criminalists and DA investigators. Alcala’s family has said he went to buy beverages and charge his electric car Aug. 24 at the Target on Stockdale Highway.
The 43-year-old California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor and father of two boys was found dead later that day near the electric chargers in Target’s parking lot.
At Roberts’ preliminary hearing, Parra was called by prosecutor John Allen to testify about events on Aug. 24. Parra testified he and Roberts saw Alcala charging his car, but that Parra didn’t know Alcala. Roberts began to approach him, Parra added.
Alcala didn’t say anything and tried to walk away but Roberts followed him toward Stockdale Highway, Parra testified. He added that’s when he heard a single gunshot but didn’t see a muzzle flash or Alcala getting shot.