Bakersfield Daily Brief: Thursday, September 10, 2026

Good morning, Kern County — it’s Thursday, September 10, and we’re in for another hot one, with a high near 101, a low around 75 overnight, and air quality holding at moderate as the day starts at 81 degrees. The day’s top story comes from Bakersfield’s group-home system, where former caregivers and families are pressing for answers from Sevita Health and Loyd’s Liberty Homes, and the night brought a serious medical call to a Denny’s on Buck Owens Boulevard that first responders handled before sunrise.

The Kern Overnight

Fire and police crews were called to a Denny’s on Buck Owens Boulevard shortly before 4 a.m. after a person was reported not breathing in an apparent fentanyl overdose. The caller was moved over to fire crews for CPR instructions while an ambulance was dispatched, and units worked through the early-morning call as traffic began to stir along the boulevard. It’s a sharp reminder that the opioid crisis is still very much present in Kern County, showing up in the earliest hours of the day.

Just after midnight, a vehicle collided with a wall in the 5500 block of Silver Crossing Street, drawing a full fire assignment alongside Bakersfield police; both occupants were already out of the vehicle when crews arrived. Firefighters also handled two brush responses overnight — one off Gephardt Road, reached by a dirt road that passes abandoned structures, where command kept a visual on the flames from a distance, and another in the 7300 block of District Boulevard next to Dreyer’s Ice Cream that brought in county resources. Neither fire was reported to have threatened structures.

Officers had a busy night on the crime side as well. They responded to a report of a person armed with a knife on the Goodman Street block and moved to make an arrest. In an alley off North Chester Avenue near Washington Avenue, a report of two men beating a victim on the ground, one holding an unknown object, drew a quick response. Deputies also handled a burglary in progress at a White Lane home, where a caller reported someone entering through the roof and described a second subject in a ski mask; crews requested a ladder and sought a K9, though one wasn’t available.

Around the county, a medical call sent crews to the Miracle Hot Springs area after a person went down while diving, and firefighters were sent to Brentwood Drive for a person reported possibly unconscious. A box truck carrying about 20,000 pounds was stopped in the slow lane on northbound Interstate 5 near the Grapevine with mechanical issues, and a tow was arranged. Officers also flagged an area near East 19th and Baker streets as potentially connected to a homicide investigation and moved in to check the scene, and a dispute on Beardsley Avenue involved a reported attempt to take someone’s vehicle.

Today's weather

It’s currently 81 degrees at Meadows Field, with today’s high expected near 101 and tonight’s low right around 75. There are no active weather alerts for Kern County, and no active fires are in the regional picture this morning. Air quality is sitting at 67 on the AQI — moderate, which means sensitive groups may want to limit time outdoors during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Top stories

KGET 17 reports that a man is now charged with hit-and-run in a crash that killed a pedestrian on South Union Avenue in Bakersfield. The charge follows an investigation into the collision, which left a walker dead. The case now moves through the courts as the city continues to see deadly crashes involving people on foot.

According to 23ABC, protests are growing against Sevita Health and Loyd’s Liberty Homes, and records confirm at least one staffing violation was substantiated months before the first report aired. Former caregivers and families gathered Wednesday to demand better care for adults with developmental disabilities, following a KERO report on staffing and resident concerns at a Newport Lane home. Documents obtained by 23ABC show Kern Regional Center substantiated a whistleblower complaint from the family of a resident at a Kroll Way home, where the man may not have received the one-on-one supplemental staffing his Individual Program Plan required.

Bakersfield Now reports that at least one person is dead after a crash on Highway 46 near Wasco State Prison. The collision closed a stretch of the highway as investigators worked the scene. Specifics on how many vehicles were involved and what caused the wreck have not yet been released.

23ABC says the McFarland Police Department has identified two suspects in the deadly shooting at the Capri Laundromat and a $10,000 reward is being offered. Detectives say 18-year-old Joshua Cortez confronted 20-year-old Alfonzo Jacobo and shot him multiple times, and Elvis Garcia is alleged to have been involved in the homicide. Arrest warrants are out for both men, who remain at large and should be considered armed and dangerous; police are asking the public not to approach them.

KGET 17 reports that two people are charged after a high-speed chase in Bakersfield that killed a bystander. The charges stem from a pursuit that turned deadly for someone who wasn’t part of it at all. KGET’s coverage details how the chase unfolded and where it ended, and the case now sits with the courts.

Bakersfield Now is reporting that police are searching for a man accused of kicking in a security door at a Chester Lane home. The search is active, and no other details have been released. Investigators are working to track the suspect down.

In an interview with 23ABC, two more Arvin City Council candidates laid out their priorities. Gabriel Garcia, a CSUB theater graduate and youth organizer born and raised in Arvin, wants safe streets, solid basic infrastructure, and a stronger connection between leaders and the community; Jose Luis Garcia Jr., who earned a business degree at CSUB, sees untapped potential in the city and hopes for a healthy, safe, vibrant, working Arvin, noting the asthma and valley fever risks that come with living surrounded by fields. 23ABC said it will hear from the final two candidates next week.

Something good

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office and SAL are teaming up for a pair of candy drives to support a Halloween event for local families. The drives are meant to make sure children and the community can take part in the seasonal celebration — a small kindness that gives everyone a reason to smile as the spooky season approaches. Keep an eye on the Sheriff’s Office social pages for drop-off details.

Coming up this week

There’s plenty on the calendar to get you through the next week and beyond. The Keep Bakersfield Beautiful Committee holds its September meeting Friday at noon, the Fire Civil Service Commission meets Monday at 3 p.m., and the City Council sits twice Wednesday, Sept. 16 — an afternoon session at 3:30 and the regular evening meeting at 5:15. The Planning Commission rounds out the week Thursday, Sept. 17, at 5:30 p.m.

The Fox Theater is busy as well. Tonight, comedian Justin Willman brings his “One for the Ages” tour to town, Max Amini performs live Saturday, and Clay Walker’s “Doin’ What I Love” tour lands Sunday. Monday, the Cults & Classics series screens “Fargo,” and Friday, Sept. 18, “It’s A 2000s Party” closes out the week with a throwback night downtown.