Man arrested in connection with two homicides
| Wednesday, Sep 08 2010 05:54 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Sep 08 2010 05:54 PM
A 39-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history was arrested in connection with two homicides that happened over the weekend.
Erran Lane West is being held without bail on suspicion of first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a gun, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Department's website. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.
Police believe West is responsible for the shooting deaths of Ernestine Denise Trejo and Levon Vines. Trejo, 43, and Vines, 58, had been dating and their bodies were found at different locations within a few hours over the weekend.
Investigators initially determined West was responsible for Trejo's murder, according to a Bakersfield Police Department news release. Officers arrested West during a vehicle stop at 30th Street and Union Avenue at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.
The arrest led to several search warrants that were executed by Bakersfield police and Kern County Sheriff's deputies throughout the night, the news release said. Further investigation and interviews determined West was also responsible for Vines' killing, police said.
Vines' body was found late Saturday evening in a field in the 800 block of Collins Way, according to reports. Trejo's body was found Sunday morning off Edison Highway, just east of Vineland Road.
West has been in court numerous times since the early 1990s, according to the Kern County Superior Court website. Some of his run-ins with the law include pleading no contest to DUI in 2007 and pleading no contest to possession of marijuana in 2006.
