WASCO, Calif. (KERO) — A social media post with what appears to be Alex Garcia, the Mayor of Wasco, shows him being assaulted by two people as well as a list of accusations made against Garcia in that same post.
- There is no official report of any crimes occurring in mentioned video.
- Wasco Police Chief says he's aware of the post but did not have much more information to share.
- The City of Wasco responded with a press release saying they are also aware of the post and have talked with the Bakersfield Police Department about it.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
By now you've likely seen the Facebook post with what appears to be Alex Garcia, the mayor of Wasco being assaulted by two people as well as a list of accusations made against Garcia in that same post.
The accusations are serious, but because there is no official report of any crimes occurring, we will not describe the accusations or show the video.
Here is what we do know, late Friday as the story began to pick up traction, we reached out to Wasco police chief Charlie Fivecoat, who told me that he had been made aware of the Facebook post, but did not have much information now.
Later Friday Fivecoat reached back out to 23ABC and told us because of the likelihood of the crime occurring in Bakersfield,.. that the BPD would be taking over the investigation.
We reached out to the city of Wasco to see if they had any information on the incident or would like to comment.
According to city manager, Scott Herbert, the city will not be making a statement at this time.
We reached out to the Bakersfield Police Department regarding the investigation, the department says that it began an investigation on Friday and has little information about it, but they were able to confirm that no report as far as their record show was made regarding the incident shown on Facebook.
The City of Wasco responded to the post saying:
The City of Wasco is aware of the social media posts involving Mayor Alex Garcia. The locations referenced in the posts are believed to be in the City of Bakersfield. The Wasco Police Department has been in communication with the City of Bakersfield, and the Bakersfield Police Department has attempted to contact the parties responsible for the social media posts.
The Bakersfield Police Department will handle all media inquiries and accept information provided by the public on this matter. The City of Wasco is very concerned about these allegations and will continue to cooperate with the Bakersfield Police Department and any other agencies to ensure all the facts in this matter are brought to light quickly."
The Kern County Democratic Party also called on Garcia to resign:
"We have been made aware of the recent allegations made against Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia. The Kern County Democratic Party unequivocally condemns any acts of violence, sexual assault and harassment in any form, especially when involving an individual who cannot give consent, such as a minor. As such, the Kern County Democratic Party calls on Mr. Garcia to immediately resign from his position on the Wasco City Council, so that the city can focus on the work of serving its citizens without distraction.
The Kern County Democratic Party takes these allegations very seriously and hopes that the appropriate agencies investigate this matter to the fullest extent of the law. The Kern Democratic Party and its affiliates are committed to a safe, respectful and harassment free environment for all. We expect all our leaders and members to uphold these values and support victims with the necessary resources."
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