Kern Valley Sun
A group of people on an afternoon commercial rafting trip Thursday, Aug. 28 made a grizzly discovery when a body was sighted, lodged against boulder, a few hundred yards downstream from Delonegha Hot Springs. The remains, originally thought to be those of a man, were later identified by the Coroner as Jenny Gomez, 24, of Bakersfield. She had been reported missing to Bakersfield Police the same day.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, “While detectives from the KCSO were investigating the death of Gomez, they found evidence indicating she was the victim of a homicide.”
 Kern River Valley Search and Rescue teams navigate to the scene where the body of homicide victim, Jenny Gomez, 24, of Bakersfield, was found by a rafting group a few hundred yards downstream from Delonegha Hot Springs on the afternoon of Aug. 28. |
The following day, Aug. 29, detectives learned that officers from the BPD were investigating a report of a missing person listed as Gomez.
Sheriff’s Detectives were then able to confirm this was the same Jenny Gomez that had been found in the Kern River on Aug. 28.
“During their investigation, Bakersfield Police officers arrested Gomez’ boyfriend, Antioco Patino, an Hispanic male, 32, for being in the country illegally,” authorities said. Upon further investigation, KCSO detectives found evidence, “which indicated Patino, who had been living with Jenny Gomez, was responsible for her death. On Aug. 29, detectives charged Patino with Gomez’ murder.”
A KCSO spokesperson said there appear to be no other suspects at this time, but the investigation is continuing.
When the “dead body found” call was originally dispatched about 1:20 p.m., KCSO also requested assistance from Kern Valley Search and Rescue personnel. SAR Captain Brian Baskin, retired Captain Bob Fisher and SAR volunteer Bill Chase immediately joined in with KCSO Deputies already on scene to devise most effective and feasible way to retrieve the victim’s body - and preserve the crime scene.
It was decided that a pair of two-man SAR rafts would launch at Delonegha and row to the area in which the body was found. At the same time, another deputy took the high road on Hwy. 178 and hiked down the 70-foot embankment above the crime scene. At this point, the group discussed the complex task of establishing a series of pulleys and winches and 600 feet of rope to safely extract the victim once Homicide Detectives and the Coroner’s office were done with evidence gathering. The victim’s body was finally retreived at about 7:45 p.m.
Kern County Superior Court records show Patino was booked on 1st degree murder charges, is being held without bail, and is scheduled for arraignment today in Superior Court.
Comments
9 comment(s)bakersfield women wrote on Apr 7, 2009 4:52 PM:
Daniel wrote on Apr 7, 2009 1:17 PM:
I always belived in him "
Gabriel wrote on Jan 18, 2009 1:47 PM:
He might have been illegal in the US but worked harder than most people i know. "
porshea wrote on Nov 9, 2008 2:04 PM:
Peg wrote on Sep 14, 2008 10:17 AM:
disgusted wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:27 PM:
If this guy commited this crime in self defense don't you think he would have called the police himself and explain to them what happened? Oh wait a minute my bad he was here illegally so he would have been deported of course he would not have called the cops instead he let that poor woman die. Did you evr think about that!!! "
Elaine wrote on Sep 9, 2008 6:37 PM:
Sahwn wrote on Sep 9, 2008 10:27 AM:
Cheri wrote on Sep 4, 2008 12:04 PM: