The Kern County Sheriff's Office released the following statement:
In the Kern County Sheriff’s Office’s on-going efforts in Data Driven Policing, the deputies at the Kern Valley Substation noticed an increase in auto theft crimes over the past three months.
There were 13 auto theft crimes during the month of August, compared to eight in July and four in June.
On September 10th, 2015, the deputies at the Kern Valley Substation conducted a joint operation with the California Highway Patrol’s Kern County Auto Theft Task Force (KernCATT), the Bakersfield Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the United States Marshall’s Service, and deputies assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Gang Suppression Section, Wasco Substation, and Lamont Substation to combat the auto theft problem.
During the operation, a total of 35 officers went to 33 locations in the communities of Lake Isabella, Bodfish, Weldon, Onyx, Wofford Heights and Kernville.
The locations were visited for the purpose of serving arrest warrants or conducting compliance checks for subjects on probation, state parole and county parole.
A stolen Chevrolet pickup taken during the night of September 7th was recovered in the early stages of being disassembled in the 2800 block of Scovern Street in Lake Isabella.
Fourteen persons, listed below, were arrested for the following charges.
1. Seth Sellers, 42 years, for an arrest warrant charging him with domestic battery and violation of a domestic violence restraining order, and another arrest warrant charging him with violation of a domestic violence restraining order and battery on a peace officer or emergency personnel.
2. Matthew Stonbraker, 30 years, for open charges of possession of narcotics and a stolen vehicle, and four arrest warrants charging him with: petty theft and failing to appear; possession of narcotics paraphernalia, DUI, and being under the influence of narcotics; petty theft; and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.
3. Matthew Siratt, 38 years, for a violation of state parole.
4. Patricia Knott, 53 years, for an arrest warrant charging her with tampering with utilities and unauthorized use of utilities.
5. David Coffey, 36 years, for four arrest warrants charging him with: possession of narcotics paraphernalia and possession of narcotics; driving on a suspended license; possession of narcotics paraphernalia; driving without a valid license; and petty theft and possession of a hypodermic syringe.
6. Heather Mallory, 23 years, for open charges of possession of narcotics for sale, transportation of narcotics and possession of narcotics, and an arrest warrant for possession of narcotics for sale
7. Michelle Sierra, 48 years, for an arrest warrant charging her with burglary, petty theft and failing to appear in court.
8. Justin Smith, 26 years, for open charges of possession of narcotics for sale, transportation of narcotics and possession of narcotics.
9. Daniel Kirby, 26 years, for an arrest warrant charging him with driving on a suspended license and failing to appear in court.
10. Curtis Kirby, 26 years, for an open charge of possession of narcotics.
11. James Mcneil, 27 years, for open charges of possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and being under the influence of narcotics.
12. Matt Posney, 28 years, for an arrest warrant charging him with possession of narcotics.
13. Richard Potter, 51 years, for a violation of state parole.
14. Jimmy Newman, 51 years, for possession of narcotics paraphernalia.
Heather Mallory is a resident of Bakersfield. All the remaining subjects who were arrested are residents of the communities in the Kern River Valley.
Anyone with information regarding auto theft, or other criminal activity, in the Kern River Valley is urged to contact the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Kern Valley Substation at (760)549-2100, or the communications center at (800)861-3110.
