Coroner: Deaths of married couple were murder-suicide
The Kern County coroner ruled the death of a married couple as a murder-suicide.
Manuel Martin Portillo Meza, 59, died by suicide, and his wife, Dellanira Sanchez Baltazar, 56, in a homicide, according to the coroner’s office.
Both died Nov. 8 in the 1600 block of Lotus Lane.
Kern County sheriff’s deputies are asking for the public’s help in locating a teenage girl who was reported missing.
E’Kima Ross was last seen Oct. 29. She was wearing a red North High School sweater, white thermal and blue jeans. She is Black, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the KCSO at 661-8613110 or the Secret Witness line at 661-322-4040
The Bakersfield Police Department is requesting
the public’s help in locating a missing runaway juvenile, according to a BPD news release.
Aniyah Lee was last seen Nov. 9 in the 700 block of Vine Street. Lee is considered at risk because she has no prior history of running away, officials said.
Lee is described in the news release as Black, 16 years old, 5 feet, 6 inches tall, 115 pounds, and she has brown eyes and brown, curly shoulder-length hair. She also has a piercing under the center of her nose.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.
A 10-vehicle traffic collision Tuesday resulted in two people being sent to the hospital, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.
Police officers responded to the 2100 block of Union Avenue at 5:48 p.m. for the crash. A person suffered critical injuries and another driver was injured but in stable condition. Three other individuals complained of pain, but refused medical transportation.
The investigation showed some vehicles were either stopped for a red light or were slowing down, the BPD stated in a news release.
A Chevrolet Silverado did not stop and hit a vehicle, police said. This crash caused a chain reaction — vehicles kept colliding into one another.
The Silverado fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Speed is a factor in this collision, the news release said.
The BPD Major Collision Investigation Team leads the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about this case can call the BPD at 661-327-7111.
The northbound side of the Manor Street Bridge is planned for 8:30 a.m. Thursday, and is expected to last for four hours.
The closure will take place at the Manor Street crossing of the Kern River. A detour at Union Avenue for northbound traffic will be in place during the closure.
Traffic delays are expected and the city asks drivers to use caution and plan for extra travel time when driving in the area.
The closure is part of a bridge rehabilitation project the city began in Mary 2020.