Two people in Kern County were murdered in separate incidents on January 16.
The CHP made a traffic stop in the first incident when they noticed a car speeding and later determined it also was stolen. Once they stopped the vehicle, they called in the KCSO Homicide Unit, as a deceased male was inside the vehicle.
Two others were detained and were determined to be suspects in causing the death. 24-year-old Ben Barness and 39-year-old Manpreet Sidhu, both of Los Angeles, were booked for murder, conspiracy, and possession of a stolen vehicle.
In the second incident, a call came in concerning an assault near San Diego Street and Poplar Avenue at 12:40 pm. Authorities discovered a severely injured man, who was taken to the hospital. The victim died nearly 24 hours later.
Further investigation revealed the name of the suspect who had fled the scene of the attack — 21-year-old Carlos Anaya, who was arrested at the Bakersfield Rescue Mission and will be booked for murder. As of press time, both victims’ names are still being withheld.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office at (661)861-3110 or the Secret Witness Line at (661)322-4040.
