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Funeral date set for pregnant fire victim

December 16, 2013, 5:26 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- Questions remain about the pregnant woman who died in a fire this weekend. Fire officials said Christine Holthouse-Soles should have never been told she could sleep in the back house where the fire started.

Candles and a cross have been placed at the fire site in remembrance of 30-year-old Christine Holthouse-Soles.

17 News spoke with her mother Monday she said her daughter's funeral is Thursday burial, but no closure yet.

A blackened window is all that is visible from the fire that took the life Christine Holthouse-Soles. Seven months pregnant her mother said was just staying at a friend's house.

Her mother says in May this back house was filled with tools. But Friday night it's where her daughter fell asleep on this couch and woke up to fire. Investigators said it was started by coals from this stove. The flames quickly filled the room with smoke which had nowhere to escape because this building is a smokehouse, designed to hold in smoke to cook meat. Her mother said the coroner told her Holthouse-Soles died of smoke inhalation just four feet from the door.

17 News tried to speak with residents of the house Monday morning.

The man who answered the door would not go on camera but said Holthouse-Soles had only been staying here a few days. When we asked why she was in the back house another woman slammed the door in our face.

Bakersfield Police said they'd been called to the house 25 times in the past year mostly for animal issues. But some wish Bakersfield City Code Enforcement had been called to make sure no one slept in this illegal dwelling.

"Haven't been out to this particular property but if there are violations we would give the property owner a notice to correct those violations and they would have to maintain that property free of violations," said David Paquette, Bakersfield City Code Enforcement Supervisor.

According to the county assessor's office that property owner is William R. Edmonds. We were unable to reach him at home or by phone.

Holthouse-Soles's mother said she was told by the coroner her pregnant daughter was carrying a boy. They've named him Christopher Kyle.

The funeral is set for this Thursday at 1 p.m. at Valley Baptist Church.
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Man charged with conspiring to distribute synthetic drugs

December 16, 2013, 5:50 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- A Bakersfield man appeared in court Monday, arraigned on a three-count indictment charged with conspiring to distribute designer synthetic drugs.

Mikhael Kamar, 51, appeared after a two-year investigation that led to the seizure of more than one-thousand pounds of designer drugs from a warehouse and smoke shop called "Havana House", which he owns and operates.

Also, more than $2.7 million in cash was seized from his home and the shop.  Investigators say the designer drugs are often marketed as herbal incense, bath salts, jewelry cleaner or plant food and have caused abuse, addiction, overdoses and ER visits.

Kamar is considered a flight risk and danger to the community.  He has a detention hearing scheduled for Friday.

If convicted, Kamar faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
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Teenage girl arrested in toddler's death

December 16, 2013, 6:16 pm
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BAKERSFIELD,CA -- A 17-year-old girl was taken into custody Monday afternoon on suspicion of first-degree murder after a two-year-old was found not breathing in an east Bakersfield home Monday morning.

Sheriff's Detectives say the teenager was looking after two-year old Kayden Webb when he died. They say she is an acquaintance of the victim's mother.

Deputies were called to the 1700 block of Jefferson Street about 3:15 a.m. and started CPR on the child. Webb was taken to Kern Medical Center where he was pronounced dead just before 7 a.m.

"It is our belief at this point that he died as a result of injuries that he sustained while he was with the female suspect," said Ray Pruitt, Kern County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies would not say if Webb was assaulted with a weapon or not. An autopsy is scheduled Tuesday to determine the cause of death. The investigation is still ongoing and the girl was booked into Juvenile Hall.
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David Crisp, wife enter plea deals

December 16, 2013, 6:57 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- David Crisp and his wife Jennifer walked hand-in-hand in silence into court Monday afternoon, their fate soon to be sealed by a package plea deal that will see both serve federal prison time.

Prosecutors say Crisp defrauded mortgage lenders by conspiring with a handful of employees, his wife and other family members to lie on loan documents to buy dozens of homes with no money down.  Prosecutors say they then obtained inflated appraisals to sell the homes at bloated amounts and then pocket the profits.

Former Crisp and Cole operations manager Julie Farmer--is the only defendant of the ten not to take a plea deal. Her attorney Tony Capozzi told the judge his defense will suggest Farmer was unaware what she was doing was illegal--that she was filing loan documents in the same way as everyone else in the industry.

Farmer's attorney has filed legal papers to force David and Jennifer Crisp to testify at trial. And he's hired a psychologist to analyze Farmer, suggesting Farmer was not of the mental fortitude to pull off such a criminal conspiracy.

Farmer's trial is set for February 4. David and Jennifer Crisp are set to be sentenced on March 3. The prosecutor says he could face up to 30 years in prison. And she up to 20 years.

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New fundraising effort looking for support

December 16, 2013, 7:26 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- The Kern County Cancer Fund is dedicated to keeping local donations local.  And the organization is asking you to support a brand new fundraising effort.

The campout against cancer is designed to help the Kern County Cancer Fund grow over the long term, as it tends to the needs of people struggling to make ends meet while fighting the disease. Board members gathered Monday outside the CBCC Foundation's office in Bakersfield, to announce their new initiative -- 24 hours of fun, games and thoughtful ceremonies, the campout against cancer. "It's an opportunity for us to honor our survivors. So we're doing a daylong event, tournament bracket style, of games that you would see at a campout or maybe even some competitions. And they'll have a little twist on them. For example you may see some shirtless volleyball out there," says Robin Mangarin-Scott, kern county cancer fund.  

The campout against cancer is set for April 4 and 5 at a location to be determined later.  The Kern County Cancer Fund currently assists about 90 patients with cancer and other diseases.

Many are are insured, but have maxed-out their allocations for costly cancer drugs and treatments.
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Kern County family reunited with a Purple Heart

December 17, 2013, 12:03 am
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BAKERSFIELD,CA-- A Kern County family has been re-united with a Purple Heart that belonged to a World War II fighter pilot killed in the skies over Germany. It was a reunion 70 years in the making.


The 1114th Transportation Company of the Army National Guard honored Alvin Pyeatt III. He was just 19 when he was killed in Germany in 1944.


How the medal came to be at the National Guard Armory begins with Ken Hooper, a Bakersfield High School history teacher.


"Last May I went birthday shopping for my wife and as I was going through the antique store,” Hooper said. “I found a purple heart in a box. When I asked to look at it I could see the purple heart was engraved with a mans name."


Hooper had a pretty good feeling it was from a Kern County resident but he had to be sure.


"I contacted a genealogist that we used for two previous purple hearts,” Hooper said. “He lives in Texas, loves looking up this type of genealogy and I asked him ' can you give us a hand?' he was more than helpful and said yeah. In a matter of days, we had made contact with the family in Kern County and they said they'd be more than happy to accept the purple heart."


Pyeatt's cousin, Gary Yaeck,  was glad the ceremony was held in front of current soldiers


“These fellows  today are doing the same thing he did,” Yaek said. “Not selfish, giving their time and possibly their life, so i'm thankful to have it back."
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DA: Grand Jury indicts east Bakersfield serial rapist

December 17, 2013, 9:24 am
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The Kern County Grand Jury indicted a man on 21 felony counts in connection with the east Bakersfield serial rapist case, District Attorney Lisa Green announced Tuesday.

Billy Ray Johnson Jr., 33, was arraigned on the charges Tuesday morning.  He had been in custody since October 14 on an unrelated weapons charge.  Johnson fired a gun while driving and was pulled over and arrested, Sheriff Donny Youngblood said during a news conference Tuesday morning.

Johnson was under suspicion of the rapes even before the arrest, BPD Police Chief Greg Williamson said.  But law enforcement waited for a DNA match through a national database before charging Johnson with the sexual assaults.

The indictment includes 6 felony counts of forcible sexual assault, including one count involving a minor. 

The attacks happened July 1, July 18, August 1 and August 19, Green said.

The series of summer attacks struck fear across the city.

In one case, detectives said Johnson broke into an apartment in the 2900 block of Virginia Avenue, near Oswell Street early in the morning, tied up four people and sexually assaulted two of them.

That attack in mid August was similar to another violent attack weeks earlier about four miles away at an apartment on Columbus Street. In that case, a woman was bound and raped shortly after her husband left for work early in the morning.

At the time authorities also said they believed Johnson may have been involved in two separate burglaries in March and May, in the same apartment complex on Virginia Avenue.
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Planning commission prolongs solar project vote

December 12, 2013, 11:10 pm
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People living in the small desert community of Cantil will have to wait a little while longer before they learn the fate of their lifestyle, their land, and their groundwater.

The Kern County Planning Commission delayed action tonight on a proposed solar power facility that will not only install more than three million solar panels, but also extract hundreds of of thousands acre feet of groundwater per year.

One planning commissioner feared tonight's meeting would become a battle between East and West Kern County, as a number of residents of Cantil and Ridgecrest expressed their concern about the Fremont Valley Preservation Project.

A proposal that has many layers and still several unanswered questions.

"This is the mother of bad ideas."

For two hours the Kern County Planning Commission heard from concerned residents of Cantil, a small desert community in Eastern Kern County, about the solar power proposal known as the Fremont Valley Preservation Project.

The project proposed by Beverly Hills based company Aquahelio would put 3.6 million solar panels in the area and provide power to more than 300,000 homes in and out of Kern County.

But there's another facet to Aquahelio's proposal: selling the basin's ground water and and storing millions of gallons of water.

The same company also owns the newly approved Beacon Solar Project.

Many residents were concerned the water would be sold to outside cities and counties, like Los Angeles, where Aquahelio is based.

"I just want to make sure everyone understands we're not proposing for a conditional use permit to move the water out of Kern County," said Roger McIntosh of McIntosh and Associates

"No native water will leave Kern County. We have no intention to do that, we're not seeking permitting to do that," explained David Morton, who represents Aquahelio.

So now the million dollar question is, where exactly would the water go in Kern County?

"We're not quite sure where it would go, that's one of the issues that was discussed at the planning commission this evening was who the potential purchasers were," said Craig Murphy from the Kern County Planning Commission.

The public hearing and vote will take place on January 23rd.

There will be two workshops before then, one in Cantil, and one in Ridgecrest, for the planning commission to hear from residents and answer questions.
 
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Autopsy for one-year-old released

December 17, 2013, 5:19 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- We now know the cause of death for a one-year-old after a 17-year-old girl was arrested Monday for first-degree murder in his death.
The autopsy is complete as the toddler's mother tries to come to grips with losing her son.

The autopsy report for one-year-old Kai'dan Webb says the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries and the manner is a homicide.
Jeukayla Webb told 17 News her son was always smiling and now she's just hoping to have a nice funeral for her little boy.

"I never thought in the world that she would do something like that."

A car wash was held to raise funeral funds for little Kai'dan Webb, the one-year-old who was found not breathing in an east Bakersfield home early Monday morning and later died.

"And the last words he told me that he loved me he came up to me he gave me his kisses and he said 'I love you momma' and that was the last time I saw him."

Jeukayla Webb says she left her son with a friend, Asia Hines, while she was getting her hair done over the weekend.
She says Hines was in love with her but Webb didn't want to continue that relationship.
Hines thought Webb wasn't coming home that night and that's Hines snapped.

"She told me that my baby was screaming and crying and hollering so she hit him in his stomach twice and hit him in his back and ruptured his spleen and his liver," Webb said.

Webb says she spoke to Hines around midnight and says her son was left to suffer for hours until she came around three Monday morning.

"She says something evil just came over her," Webb said.

Neighbors we spoke with say Webb moved into her apartment on the 1700 block of Jefferson Avenue just a few months ago and they didn't know much about her or Hines.

But the news of Kai'dans death has them holder their children a little tighter.

"Well, I cried. It broke my heart because I have kids you know and I don't know, you just have to watch who you leave your kids with. It could be the closest family member to you. You never know," neighbor Tamara Alexander said.

The District Attorney has yet to decide whether the 17-year-old will be charged as a juvenile or an adult.
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Shafter correctional facility reopens

December 17, 2013, 5:36 pm
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SHAFTER, CA -- It's a day Shafter has been waiting on for two years. Tuesday their Community Correctional Facility or CCF re-opened.

The first state inmates were bused to the facility Monday night. Officials said 29 are currently housed at the facility but by February they plan to be at capacity with all their corrections officer positions filled.

We have been asked not identify the first names of officers in this story for security reasons.

It's Officer J. Rubill's first day in uniform at Shafter CCF after he was laid off two years ago.

"New jobs, new people," said Officer Rubill. "When you come in here it's like you never stopped doing it."

In 2011, due to prison realignment the state stopped sending inmates to all Kern County Community Correctional Facilities forcing correctional officers like Rubill to get a new job.

"I actually was working in the oil fields for the time being," said Officer Rubill. "Oil fields were not my first choice but I did it to support my family."

A family that will now be supported by the CCF once again as city officials and Assemblymember Rudy Salas announced Tuesday the correctional facility is back.

"We're doing all this in collaboration with the state," said Assemblymember Salas.

Officials said the CCF will hold the lowest levels of state inmates.

"We operated for 21 years housing level 1 and 2 inmates," said Paul Lozano, Chief of Corrections for Shafter's CCF. "This new round they are still level 1's and 2's but we've added a significant amount of extra security."

This includes a perimeter fence and two gun towers. In total Shafter corrections officials said they are investing $1.8 million to get ready to hold 580 state prisoners bringing in more than $65 million over the next 5 years.

"Those funds go back into the community for schools and things of that nature so it's a win win situation for everybody," said Chief Lozano.

Chief Lozano said it's especially a win for former Shafter CCF employees like Officer C. Endsley. He worked here eight years before he was laid off.

"We weren't sure if it was going to open back up or not but I am glad the state got us back open and we're up and running," said Officer Endsley.

Delano and Taft's Community Correctional Facility also have deals with the state to reopen. Delano is set to get prisoners next month.
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Bakersfield motel reopens after bed bugs

December 17, 2013, 5:44 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- A Bakersfield motel that was shut down for bed bugs last fall reopened Tuesday. The Tropicana Motor Inn was shut down by the Kern County Department of Environmental Health in October.

Tuesday a health department official reinspected the motel giving the all clear for half of the motel. That means 30 rooms are ready for tenants as of Tuesday afternoon.

The manager said they've put in new tile floors and all new furniture from a Vegas casino.

Tropicana employees also said they will be taking steps to prevent something like this from happening again.

"We are going to be screening tenants," said Kevin Carr who managed the Tropicana Motor Inn. "We're not going to allow hoarding. We're going to be inspecting rooms. If you have enough stuff in your room that you could fill a garage you're going to be asked to take that somewhere else."
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DNA leads to arrest of serial rapist

December 17, 2013, 6:34 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- The Kern County District Attorney said the masked serial rapist, who terrorized east Bakersfield this past summer, is behind bars.

Billy Ray Johnson, 33 has a long criminal record for robberies, firearm possession, and gang-related activity, but not for sexual assault. District Attorney Lisa Green said Johnson's DNA was in the criminal DNA database CODIS, which linked him to seven sexual assaults, including one on a minor.

The rapes started in July in both the city and the county. The first was July 1 in the 2900 block of Virginia Avenue. The second on July 18 at the 4300 block of Columbus Street. Sheriff deputies said the attacker returned to the same Virginia Avenue neighborhood on August 1, tied up four people and assault two of them. Then August 19, police said he struck again in the 200 block of Quantico Avenue.

"When the very first case occurred, my staff briefed me," said Sheriff Donny Youngblood.

"When the second one occurred, we knew that this was on of the bad guys."

Johnson is no stranger to law enforcement. He has a long record since he was 18-years-old. Law enforcement won't say how Johnson became a suspect, but they said they were investigating him for some time.

"He was under surveillance for awhile I can tell you that," said Green.

Investigators said Johnson slipped up in October when he was caught shooting out of a car. Police arrested him and he's been in jail since October 14, but law enforcement had to wait until DNA test results came back from the sexual assault cases.

"Johnson has a felony conviction that cause him to be in CODIS," said Green.

"With the advent of DNA, this is one of those cases you'll see more of in the future, because DNA is the thing that really has propelled law enforcement in the last few years," said Youngblood.

Johnson had his first court appearance Tuesday morning and pleaded not guilty to 21 felony charges. In addition to the sexual assault charges, Johnson faces charges of burglary, robbery, false imprisonment, and weapons charges. His trial date is scheduled for February 10.
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Police investigating cargo trailer theft

December 18, 2013, 1:25 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- Bakersfield Police need your help finding a truck used to steal a cargo trailer earlier this month. Police say early in the morning of December 5, the suspect described as a Hispanic man, 5’11”, 200 lbs., wearing denim jeans,
used the truck to remove the victim’s cargo trailer containing tools for his trade from his driveway located in the 5800 block of Twin Lakes Dr.

The suspect's vehicle is described as a: White Ford F-150 extended cab pick-up with chrome wheels. The victim’s cargo trailer is described as a: White 6’x12’ single axle enclosed cargo trailer.

If you have any information regarding this case, call Detective Dennis Murphy at (661) 326-3567 or Bakersfield Police at (661) 327-7111.


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Teen to be charged with murder for boy's death

December 18, 2013, 1:47 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- New details in a child's death and the teen arrested for his murder. Deputy District Attorney Andrea Kohler confirmed Wednesday morning that 17-year-old Asiah Hines will be charged with second-degree murder for the death of Kai'Dan Webb.

The one-year-old was found not breathing in an east Bakersfield apartment Monday morning.  The D.A.'s office also says an additional charge of assault of a child causing death will be added.  Hines is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

We spoke with Kai'Dan's mother Tuesday, who told us she never thought her friend, who she was in a relationship with, would hurt her son.


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Family of man who died at group home hires attorney

December 18, 2013, 3:19 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- The family of a man who died at a group home in Lamont over the summer is expected to speak at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

The family of Joseph Adam Lynch hired attorney Matthew Clark, who filed a lawsuit against Mountain View Ranch residential care and the Kern Regional Center.

The Kern County Coroner had ruled Lynch's death a homicide due to positional asphyxiation. Clark said the case has been submitted for potential criminal prosecution.

Sheriff's deputies were called to the group home on July 9. Staff told deputies Lynch was a client and was vandalizing the residence and had assaulted a staff member. Deputies said staff members tried to subdue him and called the sheriff's department.

By the time deputies arrived, they said Lynch had stopped breathing. The lawsuit claims Lynch suffered from Fragile X syndrome, a form of autism that can cause aggressive behavior.

The suit claims staffers used unreasonable and excessive force to restrain him.
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Police searching for sexual battery suspect

December 18, 2013, 3:56 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- Bakersfield Police are searching for a man wanted for sexual battery. Police say on November 22 at 10:27 am the suspect approached the victim while she was standing next to her vehicle in the parking lot of Macy’s in Valley Plaza and grabbed her rear end. 

Police describe the suspect as: described as a: Hispanic man, mid-late 20’s, 5’10”, thin build, dark shaved short hair that looks as if it is “growing out” unshaven, having unknown blue ink tattoos on his neck wearing a red plaid multi-colored sweatshirt with a grey hood and jeans.

If you have information regarding this case, call Detective John Jamison at (661) 326-3921 or Bakersfield Police at (661) 327-7111.


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KMC defends compensating high-earning doctors

December 18, 2013, 4:14 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA - Kern Medical Center's administration defends the high earning of its top three doctors, saying the monetary figure is high because the number of patients and trauma cases are high.

"There's a big need for orthopedic surgeons in Kern County, and we don't turn anybody away," said Administrator of Clinics and Physicians, Lisa Ohlfest.

On Monday, it was reported that three KMC doctors were the three highest paid county employees in the entire state of California last year.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Arturo Gomez - $1.04 million

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrea Snow - $828,287

Chief of Surgery Dr. Maureen Martin - $753,465

"We were shocked," said Jenifer Pitcher of the organization Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government. "The cost of living in Kern County is typically low, and our wages are lower than certain areas of the state. On a taxpayer's dollar, is this something we can sustain?"

KMC said the doctors' earnings are justifiable because last year there were only two orthopedic surgeons at the hospital and each had a double workload.

"They just worked all the time 24/7," said Ohlfest. "One was always here. On Sundays, one of them wouldn't leave here until maybe 10:30, 11 at night."

Dr. Snow declined to speak on camera, but said she does not get paid a base salary. If she comes to work and doesn't see a patient, she doesn't get paid. She said her income is based on the number of patients she sees and the degree of difficulty in the surgery she performs. On Wednesday, she saw 80 patients.

"If you took an orthopedic surgeon here in Kern County that was not an employee of Kern Medical Center and they worked as much these two orthopedic surgeons work, they would make the same amount of money," said Ohlfest.

KMC recently hired a third orthopedic surgeon, and said it is still looking for a fourth. Chief of Surgery, Dr. Maureen Martin voluntarily took a ten percent pay cut to help balance KMC's budget.

　

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Police searching for theft suspect

December 18, 2013, 4:37 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA -- Bakersfield Police need your help identifying and locating a theft suspect. Police say on November 18, the suspect entered the Walgreens store at 40 Chester Avenue where he selected and concealed merchandise.

That's when the suspect was confronted by a store employee the suspect told the employee that he would hurt the employee if the employee tried to stop him.

The suspect used his shoulder to shove the employee out of the way and the suspect fled from the store. Police describe the suspect as a: Black male, 45-50, 5’6”-8”, thin build, light complextion, thin mustache, wearing a brown sheep skin coat with a fur collar and piping.

If you have any information, you're asked to call Detective Dennis Park at (661) 326-3553 or Bakersfield Police at (661) 327-7111.


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Witnesses: Several people tried to save pregnant fire victim

December 18, 2013, 5:37 pm
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OILDALE, CA - Witnesses said half a dozen people tried to save Christine Holthouse-Soles, but her body blocked them from getting through the only door. Those same witnesses told 17 News off camera Soles wasn't the only one sleeping in the smokehouse.

Another girl, Carrie, was sleeping on a bed in the same room, but no one knows why only Carrie got out.

A rose lies at the steps of the smokehouse, feet from where Soles' life was taken early Saturday morning.

"She was great. She had a heart for everybody," said Janice Barnaby, grandmother of the child Soles was carrying.

While the homeowners would not speak on camera, they allowed 17 News cameras into the one-room brick building, to try and put together a picture of what happened.

According to Soles' friend Carrie, Soles had been helping her move out of the smokehouse a day earlier. Soles fell asleep on the couch and Carrie on the bed.

"I don't even know why she stayed over there at that house," said Barnaby.

Carrie said she awoke to Soles screaming her name. She said the stove had caught some nearby clothes on fire.

Carrie said she ran out, but the door, with automatic shut hinges, closed behind her leaving Soles inside.

Soles' mother said several people tried to break open the door but couldn't because Soles' body blocked the entrance. By the time they got in, Soles had passed away with her head here up against the door.

"She was a really sweet girl," said Kathy Layton, the victim's friend. "No matter what was going on in her life she was sweet to everybody."

To cope with the loss, Soles' boyfriend's relatives held a car wash in Oildale on Wednesday.

Even though the funeral has been paid for by Soles' mother, they said they wanted to do their part.

"This is a way we can help out because we don't have a lot of money and we live right here in Oildale and that's where Christie lived here with us," said Barnaby.

Fire officials say living in the smokehouse violated the building code. 17 News has learned that's not the only citation the property has received.

Not only was the smokehouse where the victim was staying, an illegal dwelling, but an inspection this week revealed another illegal residence on the property.

City building inspectors said they went out to the property Tuesday, condemning the smokehouse and also finding more people living in an unsafe room in the basement.

According to Bakersfield City Code Enforcement, the property has had seven cases since 2006.

Those cases were mostly for weed abatement and animal violations, but in 2007 the utilities were pulled and the main house was labeled uninhabitable.

Then in May, code enforcement found people living illegally in a trailer in the backyard, that has since been removed.

We tried to speak to the property owner, William R. Edmonds, at his east Bakersfield home Wednesday. However, he did not answer the door or our phone calls.

According to the Kern County Assessors Office, Edmonds owns 173 properties in Kern County. Of those properties in the county, officials said there have been 86 violations.

Soles' mother said her daughter's funeral is Thursday, December 19th at 1 p.m. at Valley Baptist Church.

Friends and family are invited to attend. The service will honor both Christine Soles and her unborn son, Christopher Kyle.

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Viral prank video features Bakersfield residents

December 18, 2013, 6:00 pm
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BAKERSFIELD, CA- Bakersfield locals are at the center of a prank that has gone viral on YouTube. The prank is called 'cell phone crashing' and it targets those who talk loud on their cell phones in public.

Bakersfield residents Eric Hernandez, his wife Monica and her sister Valerie Duarte were waiting to board a flight to Texas when a simple cell phone conversation turned weird.

"I originally thought he was just mocking me, and then I realized every time I said something that he was answering what I was saying," said Eric Hernandez.

Little did they know their phone call was getting crashed.

"Cell phone crashing is something that I've been doing for a couple of years without even getting it on video. Everybody talks on their cell phone in public, and I just thought it would be funny one day to just start answering what they were saying. So I did it. It's so much fun. It confuses people. It really catches people off guard," said comedian Greg Benson.

Benson's YouTube video, "Cellphone Crashing at the Airport" was posted Sunday and has more than six million views. It has also captured national attention from news outlets like CNN.

Eric, Valerie and Monica didn't know the video was posted on YouTube, but friends and family were quick to let them know they were part of an internet sensation.
 
"Which was hilarious. We laughed. Our family and friends laughed. They thought it was the funniest thing," said Hernandez.

"Every ten seconds, we were getting phone calls and e-mails and texts," said Duarte. 

So did this prank make them think again before answering their next phone call?

"Yes it does. It makes me think twice, and it makes me think twice when I'm sitting next to somebody or standing as well," said Hernandez.

Hernandez says since the video has been posted, he watches it three to four times a day just to get a good laugh.
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