(KBAK/KBFX) — Four drivers were arrested after allegedly racing on Bakersfield roads in April The Bakersfield Police Department said on April13,2025 a motor officer monitoring traffic on Stockdale Highway near California Avenue spotted two cars allegedly engaged in illegal racing at the speed of 75miles per hour BPD said the officer pulled over one driver who received citations for the speed contest and speeding His vehicle was towed for a 30-day impound and later charged him with reckless driving Police said the case was forwarded to the Kern County District Attorney another motor officer saw two vehicles racing eastbound on 24th Street near F Street at 84miles per hour where the posted limit is 40 one 20-year-old driver was stopped immediately and cited for reckless driving A follow-up investigation identified the second driver “Through proactive enforcement and thorough follow-up the Bakersfield Police Department will continue working to keep our streets safe for every driver and pedestrian.” Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111 (KERO) — Owens Longmire and Kaylah Pearson were arrested for allegedly trafficking a minor in Bakersfield Human Trafficking is a problem that is going on across the country here in Kern County BPD recently arrested a man who was charged for allegedly trafficking minors Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter Owens Longmire is facing five felony charges for human trafficking 19-year-old Owens Longmire was arrested in April on suspicion of trafficking a female under the age of 18 and other related charges According to court documents obtained by 23 ABC text messages between Longmire and the victim described him buying hotel rooms and financially benefiting from her sexual acts with other people Jessica Amos Detective with BPD Vice Unit said "We do see a lot of minor victims right now As well as victims that have just turned 18 up to 25-26 years old but the majority that we do see are juvenile victims unfortunately." Court documents also mention co-defendant Kaylah Pearson who said she and Longmire did not have jobs and were living off the money made by the victim's sexual acts "We've had girls and males as well who have grown up in foster care Sexually abuse victims and child abuse victims normally fall into this realm of being trafficked." said Amos Longmire is facing charges for Human Trafficking While Pearson is facing charges for pandering a minor over 16 prostitution of a minor under the age of 16 If you see any females that are being walked or hurt by somebody We have had incidents when women are being beat on the street Longmire and Pearson are scheduled to be back in court for a preliminary hearing on June 2nd This is still an open investigation and BPD asked if you know any information to reach out to their office Sign In Register West Park Village will transform into a treasure trove as over 25 households participate in the community’s third annual garage sale event the “Garage Sale Extravaganza.” the one-day-only sale promises a diverse array of items from household goods to hidden gems all spread throughout the neighbourhood among participating homes “This will be the third year that we’ve done it,” said Jana Kitts a West Park resident who has been instrumental in organizing the event Everybody hosts their garage sales just to draw some foot traffic into the community.” More than just an opportunity for area residents to declutter their garages the sale also serves as a means to showcase the vibrant West Park Villa community “We’re not doing anything to raise money or anything like that; it’s all just individuals (running their own garage sales at the same time),” Kitts said The idea sprouted from a few casual conversations among neighbours and quickly gained momentum through a community Facebook page: “WestPark Community Garage Sale Extravaganza.” Instead of each household organizing their own independent garage sales throughout the summer everyone in the area can take advantage of a single major draw for the neighbourhood Attendees can expect more than just great deals this time around and Beaver Tails will be onsite to offer refreshments throughout the day Kitts said this invitation is also meant to help small local businesses gain recognition and a few additional sales which was a super hot weekend… I think each household had somewhere around four or five hundred people go through their garage,” Kitts recalled I reached out to some local food trucks and said if you don’t have anything going on this weekend… come park up here.’ It just makes for a really fun day.” Visitors can start their journey at 1702 Eleventh Avenue Northwest — one of the first houses encountered upon entering West Park from Thatcher Drive guests can explore the numerous sales throughout the neighbourhood as they proceed down the road “At every street in the neighbourhood you’ll be able to find garage sales,” Kitts noted For updates and a list of participating addresses interested individuals can visit the West Park Community Facebook page Kitts said she plans to include a detailed map closer to the event date For more information, updates, or to reach out to organizers, visit “WestPark Community Garage Sale Extravaganza” or message “Jana Kitts” on Facebook (KERO) — Paul Palutikof opened up his store the store has faced a speed bump as Donald Trump still stands behind a 145% tariff on China imports Paul Palutikof, the owner of Toy Madness in Bakersfield opened up shop a little more than a year ago selling action figures While he says business has been going well since opening “The orders that we’ve put in with different toy distributors they’ve added the tariffs after we placed the purchase So that’s kind of strange and… it’s a bummer,” said Palutikof In an interview with ABC News President Donald Trump stood behind the 145% tariff on China imports These imports include many of the toys around the store “Products have become a little bit more difficult to acquire as well He adds that this doesn’t just impact Toy Madness He says that the store does a lot of consignment And so a lot of the people in our community sell their things here often they buy it from toy stores or other big box stores and they pay full retail for it… those prices are going up and then they have to mark them up in order to sell them to a third party And so that just makes things even more complicated and expensive,” said Palutikof But he reassures customers that it’s not ‘game over’ for Toy Madness we’re still here and we’re open seven days a week from noon to seven,” said Palutikof Toy Madness is hosting their next event on the 18th where visitors can meet one of the voice actors from Dragon Ball Z The Bakersfield Fire Department welcomed Kern County residents to an open house event at Fire Station One in downtown Bakersfield offered attendees the chance to meet first responders and learn about their work the public information officer for the Bakersfield Fire Department "It's an opportunity to open up and show the community what your tax dollars are doing It's also an opportunity for kids to learn about the fire service and gives them a chance to talk directly to the same firefighters who respond to your house in an emergency." Clark also mentioned that the event featured demonstrations of the services firefighters perform Other first responder agencies were also in attendance to engage with the community (KBAK/KBFX) — The Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) said a suspect has been arrested during a suspicious death investigation BPD officers reported to the eastbound lanes of Westside Parkway near the Mohawk St. off-ramp regarding suspicious circumstances around 6:23 a.m. on Saturday, May 3 Evidence at the scene led officers to determine the man had been struck by a vehicle Officers found the vehicle involved in the collision in the 7300 block of Stockdale Hwy 51-year-old Tomice Fryman was arrested for charges related to hit and run causing death and driving with a suspended license The Kern County Coroner’s Office will release the identity of the deceased later Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call BPD at (661) 327-7111 (KBAK/KBFX) — The Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing 16-year-old girl BPD said Johnaye Allen was last seen on May 3 in the 6000 block of White Lane around 1:13 p.m Allen is considered at-risk due to being a first-time runaway Anyone with information regarding Allen’s whereabouts is asked to call BPD at (661) 327-7111 (KBAK/KBFX) — UPDATE as of 5/3/2025 at 3:00 p.m All eastbound lanes of the Westside Parkway from Coffee Rd The Bakersfield Police Department said there is a suspicious death investigation underway on eastbound lanes of the Westside Parkway the Bakersfield Police Department said the eastbound lanes of the Westside Parkway from Coffee Rd off-ramp will be closed for the next few hours related to a suspicious death investigation advises everyone to stay out of the area while officers conduct the investigation Eyewitness News has reached out to the BPD and they said they would reach back soon with more information (KBAK/KBFX) — At least one person was reportedly pinned inside a vehicle and suffered major injuries following a two-vehicle crash in southeast Bakersfield on Friday evening according to the California Highway Patrol's website Fire and emergency personnel responded to the scene shortly after the incident Roads in the area do not appear to be affected as of 6:45 p.m At least one person trapped inside the vehicle suffered serious injuries though their current condition remains unknown This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available (KBAK/KBFX) — An overturned truck has blocked all southbound lanes on 99 near County Line Road in Delano the truck swerved to avoid a vehicle that was speeding causing another vehicle to hit the driver's side The Bakersfield Fire Department is currently diverting traffic onto County Lane Road (KERO) — Some residents may have been concerned about sewer rate increase but get this now there’s a proposal for water rate increases "If I don't like California water or Bakersfield water what's my choice none." Foreman is a Bakersfield native and has been living in the Seven Oaks area for 6 years He says he's been getting notices of rate increases "It makes you wonder what's happened with all the things we've done in the past water reduction everything in your sinks everything's reduced in the state of California so you can't use as much water as we used to." he tells me that the proposed water 34% water rate increase would impact 40% of Bakersfield and specific areas in purple which are West Bakersfield and parts of North Bakersfield He claims the water rate increase is due to the cost to maintain clean and drinkable water and not maintaining their system properly Maldonado "If nothing would be done we would be out of money in our domestic water fund by the end of next fiscal year." As the city of Bakersfield water district figures out what's best to have safe clean drinking water he claims it's what needed to be done "Something needed to be done you have to pay the bills the residents of our system rely on to provide that safe drinking water and so without that reduction of funds not available to us something must be done Leaving residents like JD Foreman in the middle wondering about his next bill that could cost him extra I asked Foreman what he wants to be done and he told me He wants local officials to communicate better with residents as they are the ones paying the price for a basic necessity Residents opposed to the proposed rate increase can file a protest with the city How to save on your next water bill you canclick here in collaboration with its Recreation and Parks Department has launched two new programs aimed at enhancing the safety and cleanliness of the Kern River Trail which are expected to improve their response times to incidents and assist park visitors more efficiently The e-bikes were acquired through a $24,000 grant from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District the Kern River Bike Patrol has been formed consisting of 10 community volunteers trained by the National Ski Patrol Steering Community Chairman of the Kern River Bike Patrol "A lot of what we're doing is eyes and ears for the rangers," said Fairman "So we can help see what's going on our bike path So we can all enjoy this beautiful thing that we have So we can all feel safe and comfortable and have fun and know that there are people around to help make things safe to help make it something we can all be proud of as a community." For those interested in volunteering for the bike patrol, more information is available at bakersfieldcity.us (KERO) — The Westside Parkway in Bakersfield was closed on Saturday for several hours due to a death investigation That turned out to be a deadly hit-and-run The incident took place just before 6:30am on Saturday Police responded to the eastbound lanes of the Westside Parkway near the Mohawk off-ramp after reports of "suspicious circumstances." Officers then found a man who was hit by a vehicle BPD says they found the vehicle involved near Stockdale Highway Fryman was arrested for charges related to hit-and-run causing death and driving with a suspended license The lanes of the Westside Parkway have since been reopened Ana Lorena Ochoa Torres’s family is still searching for answers in Bakersfield Next week marks one year since Ana Lorena Ochoa Torres disappeared in Bakersfield her family is renewing their call for answers Loved ones say it’s completely out of character for the 54-year-old mother to leave without a word knows something that could bring her home.Ana Lorena who is also listed as Ana Lorena Barboza in the official missing persons bulletin from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Her family reported her missing shortly after describing her as deeply connected and communicative They say that detail raises serious concerns and are urging the public to come forward with any information that could help and I’m saying this because the detective told me he did,” said Beatrice Gasset The Kern Secret Witness Program is currently offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to answers in the case To honor Ana Lorena and continue raising awareness her family is inviting the public to a prayer gathering and community walk to distribute missing person posters (KERO) — The 4th Annual Latina Maternal Health Fair was held at Cal State University bringing together families and health advocates A wide array of tools and services were available to mothers and families at the fourth annual Maternal Health Fair emphasized the importance of access to maternal resources “In our community we have a lot of mothers who don’t know what resources there are out there so having an event like this gives an opportunity for them to see all the resources that we have here in Bakersfield,” Avilahansen said Avilahansen said it’s crucial for new and expecting mothers to understand their bodies and events like this help provide that education it’s really dynamic and we have joints back here at each side of our sacrum and our pubic bone,” she added Families from across Kern County attended the fair who recently gave birth to her first child I didn’t realize that was the event of a lifetime,” Holder said sharing that she is now 30 days sober after battling drug addiction since she was 14 a life change she made for her baby daughter attended in support of causes that hit close to home Bazan said she came in memory of her cousin who died during pregnancy due to hospital negligence [I'm] here to support the cause of today’s events and your life is only one life you wanna live it to the fullest,” Bazan said Organizers said they hope the fair continues to empower mothers with access to care helping to ensure healthier futures for families across Kern County (KERO) — A suspicious death caused the closure of parts of the Westside Parkway for several hours on Saturday The Bakersfield Police Department closed the eastbound lanes from Coffee to Truxtun due to the death investigation A tweet on X from BPD stated "The eastbound lanes of the Westside Parkway from Coffee to the Truxtun Avenue off-ramp will be closed for the next few hours related to a suspicious death investigation Please stay out of the area while officers conduct their investigation." The eastbound lanes of the Westside Parkway from Coffee to the Truxtun Avenue off-ramp will be closed for the next few hours related to a suspicious death investigation.Please stay out of the area while officers conduct their investigation. pic.twitter.com/3Tluhu7e0R The lanes on Westside Parkway have since re-opened the Bakersfield Police Activities League (PAL) has been fostering connections between kids and law enforcement by offering a safe space with after-school activities for at-risk youth in east Bakersfield the league hosted a kick-off game on its soccer field to launch the "Light Up the Night" fundraiser marks a collaboration with the Anand Legacy Foundation aimed at revitalizing the soccer field to ensure children can play outdoors safely PAL is now seeking community support to raise funds for new stadium lights on the newly renovated field Jasmeet Bains contributed to the fundraiser's launch by donating $10,000 to PAL The overall goal is to raise $150,000 to install the stadium lights on the soccer field For more on BPD PAL, visit bakersfieldpal.org (KERO) — Give Big Kern brought together local nonprofits and community members to raise funds and highlight the power of giving back across Kern County Over 70 local nonprofits are here at the Park at River Walk — all wanting to receive a donation from the community It’s officially giving season and Give Big Kern is in full swing over 1,000 community members gathered at the Park at Riverwalk to learn more about Kern County’s local nonprofits Give Big Kern is an event through the Kern Community Foundation Give Big Kern has raised millions of dollars from thousands of donors for hundreds of local nonprofits Aaron Falk is the President and CEO of Kern Community Foundation and he says there are over 150 local nonprofits in Give Big Kern — a nonprofit for everyone “In Kern County we’re used to not always being on the receiving end of federal and state funds This is a particularly interesting time with federal funding freezes and a state budget deficit That doesn’t mean the challenges in Kern County are any smaller we take care of each other here — we’re used to that That’s why we’re out here today for Give Big Kern.” Falk said One of these local nonprofits is Keepers Transformation House which is a one-year women’s discipleship program as well as a transitional living program and an overnight shelter They say their mission is to restore and empower women in crisis to have a dignified and purposeful life in Christ Heidi Adams is the program director for Keepers Transformation House and she says “Your donation goes a long way in improving each woman’s life so she can healing and wholeness and be a community member who gives back to the community and leads a fulfilling.” Charmed and Chosen is another local nonprofit that focuses on helping the youth ages 10–17 with college prep Shalanda Davis- Layton is the president and co- fouer of Charmed and Chosen “We have had a phenomenal impact over the last year We’ve won some significant grants and we have been able to expand our program so kids actually walk away with tangible things that they can actually go out in the workforce or go out to college and go out and be the best version of themselves.” Another group whose mission is to build up the next generation is the Kern Resource Center The KRC is a nonprofit that was established to offer a Christian education for K–12 They teach the core academics as well as life skills “We are so excited for the opportunity to be here at Give Big Kern It’s the biggest fundraising event of the year and we are doing a capital fundraising project in order to expand our campus so that we’re able to offer more services.” Melissa Wheeler said The KRC says they want to add more classrooms Southern California Global Messenger and athlete Bryan Johnson tells me why the community should look into donating to them “We do all kinds of sports and training for people with intellectual disabilities and so right now is our spring sports season and then we’ll go into summer sports and we have sports all throughout the year.” He said The Special Olympics tells me that they are always looking for new athletes to join the team or volunteers to help out Give Big Kern is a chance for nonprofits to earn unrestricted dollars that go directly into their bank accounts If you couldn’t make Give Big at the Park, there is still a chance for you to donate to your favorite local nonprofit by visiting GiveBigKern.org You can donate online until midnight on May 6th (KERO) — Local businesses like Montana Sky are adapting to tariffs by sourcing American-made products Leablake faces competition from online retailers like Temu and Shein With local businesses facing the impact of tariffs some are finding solutions to sustain themselves speaking with one business owner who's confident that these tariffs won't stand in her way Montana Sky has been in Bakersfield for 3 years and tells me tariffs haven't hit her yet as she buys merchandise mostly from vendors within the country "I stay within the United States there's only two products I think I bought one from Canada and pottery pieces." As she believes her solution to sustain her business is shopping American-made materials but she knows not all clothing businesses have the luxury of having manufacturers and vendors who sell to them locally "It's harder with the clothing to be honest with you because we just don't have huge manufacturing plants here so it forces me to look elsewhere." But there's other challenges in any given day she could lose between 5 to 35 long-time customers to online shopping "Our biggest thing that we are fighting with right now is the computer you know." Her biggest online competitors are Temu and Shein Both companies have been forced to raise prices because of Trump's tariffs "With the tariffs like Temu and Shein even if their prices go up 10 dollars an item I think people are still going to buy it." She tells me that even though the prices may continue to go up she's hoping tariffs are a solution Delano and McFarland Neighborhood Reporter (KERO) — A recent Grand Jury report outlines staffing shortages with in Child Protective Services and also points out some disturbing issues within the department A recent report from the Kern County Grand Jury is raising concerns about the struggles Child Protective Services is facing right now such as not having enough staff and being overwhelmed with cases Officials are now calling for immediate changes in hopes of providing a solution The April 22 grand jury report details accomplishments from Kern County Child Protective Services such as being able to provide transparency it also stated concerns within the department "Staff shortages create higher caseloads per staff member which hinders supervisors' ability to perform thorough reviews The grand jury found that family referrals received increased 6% from the previous year the grand jury is requiring CPS to work with Kern County Human Resources to set up job fairs by July 31 As well as working with the Kern County Board of Supervisors to conduct a salary to determine if salaries and benefits of CPS social A statement given to 23ABC by the Kern County Department of Human Services reads “The Department acknowledges the receipt of the Grand Jury’s report and appreciates the time and effort invested by its members We are reviewing the contents of the report in greater detail and a response from the Department regarding the report will be forthcoming in accordance with the statutory guidelines.” it’s now up to county officials and partnering agencies to implement these solutions are taking aim at California– they want to nullify state regulations dealing with air quality Some congress members are taking aim at California– they want to nullify state regulations dealing with air quality including “California State Motor Vehicle and Engine Pollution Control Standards” Notably, the Advanced Clean Cars II which was designed to have all new cars sold in California be zero emissions by 2035 This means 35% of 2026 model vehicles sold in California have to be zero emissions John Pitre, the COO of Motor City Auto Center here in Bakersfield the California market is currently running about 10% electric vehicles So to go from 10% to 35% within a couple of months is just not possible,” said Pitre the House conducted a one hour debate on a resolution to nullify the state regs This was followed by a motion to reconsider California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a statement: “The Congressional Review Act was designed to provide a mechanism for congressional oversight of new rules by federal agencies – not for partisan attacks on duly-adopted state laws Not only would the misuse of the CRA undermine the integrity of our democratic process California has exercised its right under the federal Clean Air Act to pursue solutions that address the persistent air pollution challenges that our state faces Reducing emissions is essential to the prosperity and wellbeing of California and its families Senate to abide by the determinations of the GAO and Senate Parliamentarian that these CRA resolutions should not proceed.” Governor Gavin Newsom added his statement: “Trump Republicans are hellbent on making California smoggy again we can thank Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon for our decades-old authority to clean our air The only thing that’s changed is that big polluters and the right-wing propaganda machine have succeeded in buying off the Republican Party – and now the House is using a tactic that the Senate’s own parliamentarian has said is lawless Our vehicles program helps clean the air for all Californians Washington may want to cede our economy to China but California is standing by American innovation.” The vote in the house was largely along party lines republicans in support to nullify the air rules Congressman Vince Fong also released a statement: “These out of touch mandates abused by California should not be imposed on the entire country when it’s contrary to common sense and what the public wanted We should protect the right of consumers to choose the vehicle that works for their budget and lifestyle in addition to removing needless barriers that limit water access to our farmers and Central Valley communities,” said Congressman Fong “As a co-sponsor to overturn these waivers it is imperative we enact consistent federal rules to reduce confusion We should not model national energy policy after California – a state that is completely energy incompetent Nor should we allow California to withhold water from our producers in the nation’s food capital It is critical we undo these mandates to ensure Californians no longer have to bear the financial burden of these terrible state and federal policies.” A spokesperson with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) said "The House’s approval of the Congressional Review Act resolution is inconsistent with past precedent and violates the plain language of the Congressional Review Act itself as recognized by both the nonpartisan and well-reasoned analyses of the U.S Government Accountability Office and the Senate Parliamentarian CARB will continue its mission to protect the public health of Californians impacted by harmful air pollution.” “In the current environment of uncertainty around tariffs we really didn’t need that to be on top of all of that to say we’re going to limit your choices All it would do is raise the cost to everybody in California I thought it was very important that drivers in California know that there is hope on the horizon The House is scheduled to meet again on Monday (KBAK/KBFX) — Buck Owens' Crystal Palace is set to host a festive Cinco de Mayo celebration The event will feature performances by Mento Buru For reservations, attendees can visit the venue's website or call 661-328-7560 Mother's Day is right around the corner and the Kern County Library is celebrating a special event this weekend (KBAK/KBFX) — Mother's Day is right around the corner There will be a Mother's Day DIY Spa Day at the McFarland Branch Library at 12 p.m the event invites children to create their own salt baths or bath bombs After a cooler weekend with passing showers Monday brings calmer weather for most of the county The last bit of the weekend storm could bring some minor rain chances to the mountain and desert neighborhoods into the afternoon As the unsettled weather fully exits the region light showers could develop in those areas Winds will be breezy in the mountains and desert but we have no active wind alerts for Monday temperatures are expected to jump back up into the 90s here in Bakersfield and everyone will be much warmer by Thursday and Friday (KBAK/KBFX) — Kern County firefighters responded to a structure fire on the 200 block of Salaine Drive at approximately 10:25 a.m they found smoke emanating from the attic vents of a double-wide mobile home Neighbors alerted firefighters that a resident might be inside prompting the crew to enter "rescue mode." Firefighters pulled a hoseline and made a rapid entry into the smoke-filled home they fought the fire while conducting a thorough search of the residence firefighters discovered two small dogs sheltering under a bed The animals were quickly removed from the structure and brought outside to safety and fresh air The dogs were reunited with their family and appear to have recovered from the ordeal The fire caused significant damage to the mobile home Crews remained on the scene for several hours to conduct extensive overhaul operations and ensure all hot spots were extinguished and the cause of the fire remains undetermined Kern County firefighters executed a rescue operation at the Dove Springs Off-Highway Vehicle Area following a motorcycle accident a utility task vehicle (UTV) stationed in Inyokern was deployed to the scene for off-highway emergencies Kern County firefighters found a motorcyclist with moderate injuries approximately 2.5 miles beyond the reach of standard ambulance access They quickly provided immediate care to the injured motorcyclist securing them in a Stokes basket before loading them onto the UTV for transport The patient was safely and efficiently transported to a waiting ambulance and subsequently taken to the hospital for further treatment.