Radio Shack on Ming Avenue
BAKERSFIELD — A man who is being accused of robbing a central Bakersfield electronics store at knifepoint on Saturday afternoon has been arrested by police.
Brett O’Leary, a 22-year-old Bakersfield resident, was booked into the Kern County Jail on charges of exhibiting a deadly weapon, criminal threats and robbery.
According to the Bakersfield Police Department, the incident began at around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, when O’Leary allegedly entered the Radio Shack store located at 2734 Ming Avenue in central Bakersfield. “The suspect then proceeded to steal merchandise and then tried to exit the store with the stolen items concealed under his jacket,” said Sergeant Gary Carruesco, BPD Public Information Officer. “When he was confronted by a store employee, the suspect allegedly produced a knife and threatened to stab the employee if he did not get out of the way.”
The employee told police that, fearing the threat was real, he moved out of the way and the suspect fled from the business on a scooter with the stolen merchandise.
A short time later, a BPD officer patrolling the area said he saw the a subject matching witnesses’ description, and when he attempted to make contact with him, the suspect dropped the scooter, knife and merchandise, and fled towards a neighboring business in the 3010 block of Ming Avenue, where he was eventually taken into custody without further incident.
O’Leary has previously been arrested this year on October 28 and August 27 on possession charges. In 2014, however, he shows at least 14 arrests, including charges of petty theft, vandalism, burglary, interfering with a business, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
