1500 area of South Union Avenue, Bakersfield
BAKERSFIELD — One day after arresting one suspect believed to be connected to a November murder in southeast Bakersfield, police say they have apprehended a second suspect.
“We have arrested a second suspect for a murder which occurred on November 9, 2015 in the 1500 block of South Union Avenue,” Public Information Officer Ray Pruitt told the media. “He has been booked into the Kern County Jail on one count of first degree murder and is being held without bail.”
The suspect is 32-year-old Guadalupe Ruiz, who was taken into custody by homicide detectives on January 6. Just one day after detectives had previously arrested 30-year-old Quinton James on January 4.
Like James, who has been arrested multiple times in Kern County, Ruiz is no stranger to the criminal justice system, being arrested numerous times in Kern County since 2005, mostly on charges ranging from drugs to spousal abuse. Also like James, he too has served time at Wasco State Prison.
So it’s no surprise that the two are the lead suspects in this case, which according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office possibly started with a fight and then escalated into the beating death of a yet to be identified male victim that deputies said they found lying on the ground when they arrived.
The victim was transported to Kern Medical Center with major head injuries, and died as a result of those injuries on November 27.
