Suspect Arrested in Connection with Body Found in Bakersfield Garage

BAKERSFIELD — After a daylong search on Tuesday, Kern County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a man in connection with a murder in southeast Bakersfield.

Eddie Rivas

Eddie Rivas, 20, of Bakersfield, was taken into custody at around 4 p.m. on June 11, 2013, by deputies from the Sheriff’s Gang Unit at an apartment located in 3400 block of Edison Highway.

Rivas was booked at the Kern County Jail on the charges of murder of an unidentified female victim whose body was discovered earlier in the day in a southeast Bakersfield garage.

At about 9:30 a.m. deputies were dispatched to 909 Vista Street to investigate a foul odor coming from the detached garage located on the property.

Police said when deputies arrived they found evidence of a deceased person in the garage.

Israel Rivas, the suspect’s brother, said he, his mother and her boyfriend found the body while they were cleaning up at the home.

“They went to a room to go throw the carpet away and that’s when they found it,” Rivas said. “They started rolling up some carpet and a shoe fell out.”

Homicide detectives were called to the scene and initiated an investigation.

During the course of the investigation detectives were able to develop probable cause to arrest Rivas.

“Mr. Rivas was at or near the scene when detectives arrived,” Senior Deputy Victor Keesey said. “He fled prior to the deputies arriving on scene.”

Read more:

Bakersfield Californian: Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrest in Homicide

KERO: Kern County Deputies Investigation Possible homicide