UPDATE: Officials confirm that Elias Aguilar bailed out overnight. Jail officials say he bailed out at 2:50 a.m. He was being held on $50,000.
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Officials arrested the store owner of Azteca Market on Weedpatch Highway after he shot a shoplifter, according to Kern County Sheriff's Department officials.
On March 27, 2017, at 11:20 AM, David Carrillo entered the Azteca Market located at 2801 Weedpatch Highway. Carrillo selected several items from the store and placed them on the front counter. The items were worth approximately $11.00. Carrillo left the store briefly then returned. Carrillo provided the store owner, Elias Aguilar, with a Walmart gift card, took the items, and began running out of the store. When Carrillo was outside of the store, Aguilar fired two rounds through the front window of the store, striking Carrillo once in the back.
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A vehicle arrived at the store and Carrillo was assisted into the vehicle. The vehicle then fled, but was located a short time later by deputies in the area of Morning Drive and Breckenridge Road. The vehicle’s driver had fled and Carrillo was the only occupant. Carrillo was taken to Kern Medical in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle has not been identified.
Due to the Carrillo’s injuries, Kern County Sheriff’s Office homicide detectives responded to assume the investigation. After conducting an investigation into the theft and the shooting, two cases were submitted to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office with one listing Carrillo as a suspect in a misdemeanor shoplifting case, and the second with Aguilar as a suspect in an assault with a deadly weapon case.
The District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and determined they would not be filing charges against Carrillo, but did file a charge against Aguilar for assault with a firearm. On April 27, 2017, an arrest warrant was issued for Aguilar for one count of assault with a firearm. On April 27, 2017 at approximately 1:30 PM, deputies from the Lamont Substation arrested Aguilar at the Azteca Market for his warrant. Aguilar will be booked on his warrant and his bail has been set at $50,000.00.
