Teen girl in critical condition after being hit by car

A teenager is in critical condition after a vehicle rammed into her Wednesday morning when she crossed the street against a red light, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.

Police went to Allen and Brimhall roads around 6:10 a.m. to investigate. Preliminary findings show the girl crossed the road on a red light and was hit by a car going through a green light, police said in a news release.

The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with police officers. Drugs or alcohol are not factors in the collision, the news release added.

Those with information about this incident should call the BPD at 661-327-7111.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office released the name of a man who’s accused of mur

dering a man in northwest Bakersfield.

Kevan Brown, 40, was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder, recklessly discharging a firearm, assault with a firearm and manufacturing a large-capacity magazine, according to online inmate records.

Deputies went to the 7200 block of Cranbrook Avenue on Tuesday and found a deceased man with “severe trauma” to his upper body inside a residence, according to a news release.

Anyone with information about this incident may call the KCSO at 661-861-3110 or Secret Witness at 661-322-4040.

A Bakersfield Police Department and California Highway Patrol traffic enforcement

operation on Wednesday resulted in the issuance of 132 citations, according to the BPD.

The operation held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. was to deter drivers from speeding, a well-known factor in collisions. The BPD said excess speed has been a factor in nearly one-third of fatal crashes for the last 20 years and is a main contributor in all collisions.

A court hearing for the man charged in the murder of a California Department of

Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor was postponed Wednesday until next year.

A readiness hearing for Robert Roberts, 29, was scheduled for Jan. 11 to determine if attorneys are reading for trial. He’s charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery and possessing a firearm by a felon in the death of Benny Alcala Jr., 43.

Alcala was shot in August near the electric charging stations at Target on Stockdale Highway. Roberts said in Bakersfield Police Department offense reports he thought Alcala had money because he was charging an electric vehicle.

Roberts was placed at the scene through The Shops at River Walk surveillance cameras and cell phone records, the offense reports said.

The California Highway Patrol will screen for drivers under the influence and check

ing driver’s licenses Friday in an unincorporated part of Bakersfield.

Officers will hold the checkpoint between 7 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday to look for signs of alcohol or drug impairment.

Research shows publicizing DUI checkpoints reduces crashes by up to 20 percent, the CHP said in a news release.