WEEDPATCH— Four people in the small community of Weedpatch just south of Lamont in Kern County were arrested on Wednesday in connection with an assault that occurred earlier this year.
Fernando Vega, 29, along with 19-year-old Christopher Bustamante, 19-year-old Efrain Chocoteco and 19-year-old Joshua Rodriguez were all booked into the Kern County Central Receiving Facility on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and participation in a criminal street gang. Bustamante was also booked on the additional charge of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of sale.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the four men were taken into custody after a five-month long investigation concluded that Vega, Bustamante, Chocoteco and Rodriguez were all suspects involved in an April 7, 2014, assault that occurred in the 7800 block of Florence Street in Weedpatch.
“The victim of the assault, who was taken to nearby Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, told deputies that he had been assaulted by several individuals and had a glass bottle broken over his head,” KCSO Public Information Officer Ray Pruitt said.
On Sept. 10, deputies from the Sheriff’s Gang Unit executed search warrants on each of the suspect’s residences. “During their search, deputies located and seized several items of known gang affiliation,” Pruitt said. “As well as amounts of methamphetamine packaged for sale inside Mr. Bustamante’s residence.”
