Homicide Map 2007
Homicides drop in 2007
| 12/31/07 15:57:20
Last Updated: 04/14/08 16:35:43
The number of homicides dipped in Kern County in 2007 from the previous year with the Bakersfield Police Department seeing about a 35 percent decrease.
Homicides, defined as death at the hands of another, accounted for 56 deaths in Kern County in 2007, compared to 69 in 2006. There were 79 homicides in 2005.BPD investigated 15 homicides in 2007, compared to 23 in the previous year and 31 in 2005. “It’s a big drop,” Bakersfield Police Department Chief Bill Rector said. “We have to knock on wood.”The dedication of all police units in battling gang violence and the growing number of residents unafraid to speak out about suspects have helped reduce the number of homicides in the city, according to Rector.“We continue to have a primary focus on gang-related violent crimes and not just with the gang unit,” Rector said. “We also clearly see one of the things that is impacting is the community. Information is being forwarded to our gang units that result in the prevention of potential homicides.” The police department also investigated three officer-involved shootings, but did not include them as homicides because the shootings were determined to be justified, said police Sgt. Greg Terry.Other departments differ on classifying officer-involved shootings. The Ridgecrest Police Department considered the shooting death of Jimmy Lewis Stone a homicide. A California Highway Patrol officer fatally shot Stone after the suspect had fired shots at patients and employees at the Ridgecrest Medical Plaza.The Kern County Sheriff’s Department also included officer-involved shootings and fetuses of pregnant victims in its 2007 list of homicides. The April 19 shooting death of Vanessa Alcala along with the death of her 12- to 14-week-old fetus counted as two homicides.The sheriff’s department investigated 35 homicides this past year, which is an average number for the department, Sgt. Ed Komin said. The department investigated 34 homicides the previous year and 28 in 2005. Many homicides in 2007 also resulted in zero arrests or no known suspects. Each homicide is different and how many are solved depends on the circumstances of the cases, Komin said. He said there is no normal number of unsolved murders for any year.“Just because they’re not solved yet, doesn’t mean they won’t be solved,” Komin said. “Homicide investigations stay active until there is an arrest.”1. Jan. 5: Larry Jason Lee, 35, died after he was stabbed in a fight with 17-year-old Randy Jason Jones at a trailer park in the 200 block of West J Street in Tehachapi. Jones was charged with first-degree murder and was sentenced to one year in jail, according to Kern County Superior Court records.2. Jan. 6: Jesus Antonio Gomez, 21, was reported missing Jan. 1 from his Bakersfield home. His body was found five days later in the middle of Cottonwood Road near DiGiorgio Road in Bakersfield. Gomez died from multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound. Investigators believe his death may have been gang-related. Deputies arrested two men in connection with Gomez’s death, but they were not charged. The case is still being investigated.3. Jan. 13: Stephanie Gutierrez, 26, and Luis Gonzalez Ramirez, 47, died after they were shot in the 300 block of San Lucas Street in McFarland. Two suspected gang members, both 17, were arrested in connection with the shootings. 4. Jan. 20: Robert Hollingswoth, 56, was accidentally shot and killed by his duck hunting partner, Clifford Ward, at the Pasuza Water and Land Club in Wasco. Ward had turned to shoot at a bird when Hollingsworth stood up. Ward shot him in the head. The victim’s death was ruled an accident.5. Jan. 27: Michael Angel Cortez, 18, was shot while he got into a fight at a home in the 1000 block of Austin Street in Delano. Cortez was taken to Delano Regional Medical Center and then Kern Medical Center where he died. No arrests have been made.6. Jan. 28: Salvador Mata, 29, died after he was shot at the Tacos La Villa Restaurant in the 1500 block of East California Avenue in Bakersfield. Earlier he had been in a fight with a customer who pulled out a gun on the victim. No arrests have been made and police believe the incident was gang-related.7. Feb. 4: Ernesto Guillen Vasquez, 47, was shot and killed in the 200 block of San Lucas Street in McFarland. Deputies have not arrested any suspects or found a motive. 8. Feb. 9: James Michael Beal, 19, was shot and killed in front of the Central Cali Deli and Grocery at 801 E. California Ave. in Bakersfield. Three women were also shot in front of the store. The shooting appeared to be gang-related. No arrests have been made.9. Feb. 13: Deondre Leon McGruder, 27, was shot and was found lying next to a tree in the front lawn of a home in the 4400 block of Snapdragon Lane in Bakersfield. He later died at Kern Medical Center. Wayne Perkins and Nyesha Hendrix were arrested in connection with the murder. Perkins was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and attempting to prevent/dissuade witness or victim. A jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 28.10. Feb. 15: The body of Jose Feliciano Alvarado, 25, was found on a dirt access road southwest of Glennville. The victim, who was from McFarland, died from multiple gunshots. No suspects have been arrested and investigators believe Alvarado’s death may be gang-related.11. March 13: Robertson Van Osdol, 33, was stabbed to death in his Casa Del Sol studio apartment in the 2600 block of Fremont Street in Bakersfield. Later that same day, Michael Eugene Sullivan, 24, stabbed Bakersfield Police Officer Eric South. The officer shot and killed Sullivan. Police found a fingerprint from Sullivan on a knife that was found inside Osdol’s home. The shooting review board ruled that South fired within department policy and state and federal guidelines. 12. March 15: Cesar Lopez, 19, was killed in a drive-by shooting in front of a home in the 100 block of Browning Road in McFarland, Lopez was installing a car stereo when he was gunned down. Deputies have not arrested any suspects and believe the shooting was gang related.13. March 24: Steven Justin Fierro, 14, died in a drive-by shooting at his parents’ home in the 300 block of Catalina Place in Delano. Fierro, his brother and two of his brother’s friends were shot by a high-powered rifle. Police believe the shooting may have been gang-related. No arrests have been made.14. March 27: Jason Curry, 33, was shot in the head and body. He was found on South Vineland Road at Panama Lane Road in Lamont. No suspects have been arrested or motive established. 15. April 1: Jamesha Terry, 14, was killed and found in a field off the main drag of California City Boulevard. She was reported missing March 19 in California City. No suspects have been arrested.16. April 4: Gilbert Ortega Jr., 35, was stabbed several times and his body was found in an alley in the 700 block of Valencia Drive in Bakersfield. No suspects have been arrested.17. April 16: Richard Guevara, 59, died after he was stabbed in the neck in the backyard of a business in the 700 block of Sumner Street. Calvin Jones was arrested in connection with the murder.18. April 19: James Oliver Wallace, 21, and Vanessa Alcala, 19, were shot and killed in front of 1313 McNew Court. Alcala was carrying a fetus that was 12 to 14 weeks old. Deputies arrested three people in connection with the shootings.19. April 26: Jose Cervantes-Valles, 37, was shot in the head and body. His body was found in a drainage pipe by Highway 58 west of HIghway 202 in Tehachapi. No suspects have been found and the motive is unknown.20. May 2: Thelma Long, 90, was beaten to death with a baseball bat and her daughter, Cathryn Reeves, was seriously injured at their home in the 3100 block of Bucknell Street in Bakersfield. Timothy Titus Rodriguez was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Long, attempted murder, robbery, burglary and injuring a telephone/power line, according to Superior Court records. The District Attorney’s office is pursuing the death penalty against Rodriguez. HIs fiance, Chenoa Nicole Martinez, was charged with accessory to murder and robbery and two counts of forgery. The accessory count was later dropped. Her trial is set to begin this month. 21. May 6: Luis Manuel Garcia, 30, was shot after getting in a fight at a Cinco de Mayo concert at the Mercado Latino at 2105 Edison Highway in Bakersfield. Garcia later died at Kern Medical Center. No suspects have been found.22. May 11:Graciela Garay, 26, died after a stray bullet hit her while she was sleeping in a home in the 200 block of San Pedro Street in McFarland. She was 23 weeks pregnant with a baby girl. The suspects fled in a white SUV that was later found burned. No arrests have been made.23. May 26: Evaristo Valdez, 33, was found dead in alley north of Buena Vista Boulevard in Lamont. Deputies arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the murder, but no charges were filed.24. June 6: Anthony Daniel Lopez, 45, was shot and killed in the garage of his home in the 1000 block of Fairfax Road in Bakersfield. Deputies arrested Roman Fernandez who was charged with first-degree murder. The case was later dismissed. 25. July 1: Armando Cortez, 42, was shot and killed while he fixed a truck on the side of a road in the 200 block of First Avenue in Delano. No arrests have been made.26. July 3: Shakka Porter, 19, was shot and killed in the 1000 block of West Columbus Street in Bakersfield. He was being chased by two men, according to witnesses. The shooting is believed to have been gang-related. No arrests have been made.27. July 4: Darryl Porter, 21, was shot and killed at 20th and K streets in Bakersfield. Anthony Byron Kennedy was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. Ryan Tramel Johnson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The cases are ongoing.28. July 4: Paulina Reyes’ 27-week-old fetus died after the mother was shot in the 2700 block of South Union Avenue in Bakersfield. The fetus was dead when it was delivered at Mercy Hospital. No arrests have been made.29. July 5: David Timberlake, 23, was shot to death and his body was later found in an alley in the 300 block of H Street in Bakersfield. Tomas Vasquez, Michael Aguirre, Gregory Aguilar and Yesenia Chante Hernandez are facing various charges such as first-degree murder and robbery in connection with the murder of Timberlake. Aguilar withdrew from a plea deal in November. The others have pleaded not guilty.30. July 12: Jose Madrid-Lopez, 24, was shot and killed near Rock Pile Road and Buena Vista Boulevard near Lamont. Deputies arrested Roberto Casillas and Juan Burboa in connection with the shooting. Burboa was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, three counts of second-degree robbery and three counts of kidnaping to commit robbery, according to Superior Court records. The case is ongoing. 31. July 24: Ernest Joe Kerr Jr., 26, and another victim were shot by suspects with a rifle near Cottonwood Road and Cheatham Avenue in Bakersfield. Kerr died from his wounds. The suspects ran away. No arrests have been made.32. July 30: Jimmy Lewis Stone, 75, shot at patients and fought with female workers at the Ridgecrest Medical Plaza. California Highway Patrol Officer Brad Degeus shot and killed the suspect after he refused to drop his weapon.33. Aug. 3: Zachary Alvarado, 19, and another victim were walking in the 1000 block of Madison Street in Bakersfield when they were shot at by three men. Alvarado died after suffering a gunshot wound to his neck. The other victim was not injured. No arrests have been made. 34. Aug. 9: Larry Bowen, 26, was shot and killed in his home in the 1300 block of Cheatham Avenue in Bakersfield. No arrests have been made.35. Aug. 14: David Ramirez Madrigal, 42, and Irene Beltran, 25, were shot in the head in a house in the 1400 block of Ridgeview Street in Bakersfield. Beltran’s 13-year-old brother and the couple’s two toddlers were home when they were killed. No suspects have been identified.36. Aug. 25: Jose Antonio Hernandez Nunez, 22, was shot several times in the men’s room at Billar San Juan billiards hall, 2105 Edison Highway. Nunez went into surgery and died. No arrests have been made.37. Aug. 26: Jesus German Sarabia, 24, pulled out a gun at police and was shot and killed by officers with the Bakersfield Police Department and deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. Sarabia, also known as German Cohen, had refused to drop a handgun after lawmen ordered him to do so in 2000 block of Lake Street in east Bakersfield. The officers and deputies were cleared of any wrongdoing.38. Aug. 26: Paulo Sergio Celio, 25, was fatally stabbed after getting in a fight at a party at a home in the 5200 block of Caballeros Drive. Officers arrested two men in connection with the murder. They were not charged.39. Aug. 27: Oscar Sanchez, 22, was shot in his right upper chest. His body was found in a field in at 15379 Meyer Road in Mojave. No arrests have been made. 40. Sept. 15: Douglas Childers, 43, died after he was pushed out of a moving car near 2111 Chester Ave. in Bakersfield. Childers was trying to give money to Mark Christopher Chatman and Jimmy Blake Broussard through the passenger window for giving him a ride. The suspects allegedly grabbed all of his money and Childers hung onto the car. The victim hit the pavement and later died at Kern Medical Center. Chatman and Broussard were charged with first-degree murder and second-degree robbery. Their cases are ongoing.41. Sept. 19: Michelle Anne Cross, 36, was shot after allegedly getting in an argument with David Rosenberg. Another woman drove Cross to the Walgreens at 1101 W. Tehachapi Blvd. in Tehachapi. She later died at the hospital. Rosenberg was charged with first-degree murder and assault with a firearm on a person, according to Superior Court records. The case is ongoing.42. Sept. 19: Syrenity Owens-Strong, 5 months old, died after being shaken to death at a home in the 800 block of North Norma Street in Ridgecrest. Melvin Brooks, the boyfriend of the victim’s mother, was charged with willful cruelty to a child. The case was dismissed Dec. 26. 43. Sept. 20: Tyrin Levar Cheadle, 30, was shot and killed in his mother’s apartment in the 2600 block of Fremont Street in Bakersfield. No arrests have been made.44. Sept. 23: Joshua Ward, 16, was shot at a dance in the Fairfax Grange on Fairfax Road in Bakersfield. He later died at Kern Medical Center. Investigators arrested Terrell Scott Young and Jerald Larry in connection with the shooting. Both were charged with first-degree murder along with other charges. Their cases are ongoing.45. Oct. 5: Michael Hernandez Jr., 28, was shot and killed outside a trailer park at 11640 S. Comanche Drive in Arvin. Hernandez had earlier gotten into an argument with the gunman. Martin Ruelas Anguiano has been identified as the suspect. He has not been found.46. Nov. 2: Maria Esther Jauregui, 51, suffered blunt force trauma to her upper torso and her body was found in a green Chevy Blazer off Fairfax Road, a half-mile south of Panama Lane, next to a vineyard in Bakersfield. Francisco Najera has been named a suspect in the case. He has not been found.47. Nov. 5: Ulises Espino, 19, was shot by Steven Stewart after Espino broke into Stewart’s home in the 15000 block of Westdale Drive in Rosedale. Espino fled and later died at Kern Medical Center. Jesus Estrada, Cesar Montoya and Alberto Torres were arrested in connection with the home invasion. Francis Giangrossi and Jim Skiba were arrested for allegedly hiring Espino and the three other men to kill Stewart. The cases are ongoing. 48. Nov. 6: Tomas Anthony Carnero, 22, died from a single gunshot to his head and was found on Albany Street, a half mile north of Woollomes Avenue in Delano. No arrests have been made. 49. Nov. 14: Lawrence William Giron, 15, was shot several times in a field between two apartment complexes at Garces Highway and Belmont Street in Delano. The shooting appeared to be gang related. No suspects have been arrested.50. Nov. 22:The body of Jose Galvez, 25, was found in a field one mile northeast of Cadet and Basic School roads outside Taft. An autopsy showed the decomposed victim had been strangled and suffered trauma to his neck and head. No suspects have been found. 51. Dec. 11: Mikko James Jr., 19, died in a drive-by shooting after he was hit in the head while standing in the front yard of a house in the 100 block of T Street. Le Mar Williams and Jake Ward were arrested in connection with the shooting. They were both charged with first-degree murder, shooting at occupied motor vehicle, discharged of a firearm from vehicle at person and four counts of attempted murder, according to Superior Court records. Williams and Ward are scheduled to have preliminary hearings on Jan. 18 52. Dec. 14: Erika Meza, 33, was shot while pushing a stroller near Casa Loma Market, at Casa Loma Drive and Union Avenue in Bakersfield. Two of her five children, ages 3 and 4, were with her during the shooting. They were not hurt. The gunman, Asencion Garcia, 52, then shot and killed himself. He was was also believed to be the father of the victim’s children. Meza died later that night.53. Dec. 29: Juan Arcos Zavala, 19, was found stabbed to death in front of an apartment complex in the 2600 block of Sunny Lane in Bakersfield. He was involved in an argument before he was stabbed. Isaac Tafoya Sanchez was arrested in connection with Zavala’s death.— Californian staff writer Jason Kotowski contributed to this report.