The entire chapter of the Bakersfield Hells Angels biker gang was arrested on Tuesday on various violent charges.
A joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kern County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol resulted in six people arrested on Tuesday, joining a seventh who was already in the custody of law enforcement.
The big picture: The members arrested were Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr. 33, Joshua Zavala, 31 and John Seager, 57.
- Joshua Vaugh, 37, was already in custody on other charges. All seven suspects are residents of Bakersfield.
- Authorities also executed eight search warrants at various locations throughout Bakersfield.
Go deeper: Over 150 law enforcement personnel seized around 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines and gang affiliated paraphernalia.
- Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr. and Zavala are active, patched members of the Bakersfield chapter of the Hells Angels.
- Vaughn and Seeger are members of the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club, a sub-affiliate that takes orders and direction from the Hells Angels.
State of play: All of the suspects were charged with kidnapping, first degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidating a witness or victim and elder abuse.
- They were booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Lerdo Facility.
