Ricardo Robles
Service Record
Bakersfield California Police Department
| Rank | Officer |
| Dates of Service | Approximately 2022[1] - January 2024.[2] |
| Last Known Status | Resigned.[2] |
Incident Reports
2023 Death of Mario Lares
On January 19, 2023, Robles and Officer Travione Cobbins pursued a stolen vehicle before the chase was called off due to high speeds. Robles turned off his emergency lights, and continued the pursuit at speeds of over 100mph. As he approached the stop sign at an intersection, Robles slowed to 70mph before striking Lares' vehicle, which had the right of way.[3][4]
Lares died at the scene and his passenger suffered serious injuries.[5]
Response Timeline
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) opened an investigation.
On December 18, 2023, Robles was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and reckless driving on a highway.[3]
On December 30, 2023, LEO Ratings reached out to the department to see if Officer Cobbins had been investigated for failing to intervene in Robles' pursuit and whether they plan to revise their policies following this incident. They replied quickly that "a thorough investigation into the event... is ongoing" and the process "is intended to encourage continuous improvement of the organization".
The CHP investigation suggested that Cobbins may have been driving.[6]
On January 10, 2024, Robles pleaded not guilty.[7]
In January 2024, Robles resigned.[2]
On October 17, 2024, Robles pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter. Robles may be sentenced to felony probation and 500 hours of community service.[8]
Public Comments
LEO Ratings
References
- ↑ Ishani Desai, CHP: BPD officer didn't brake at stop sign in collision that killed 1, went at high speed, Bakerfield Caifornian, 2023-02-08
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Melanie Nguyen, BPD confirms man suspected of fatal car crash resigned from police force, Bakersfield.com, 2024-05-30
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jason Kotowski, BPD officer charged with manslaughter in South Vineland Road crash, KGET, 2023-12-18
- ↑ Jose Franco, 1 dead, 3 injured in crash involving Bakersfield police during pursuit of stolen vehicle suspect: BPD, KGET, 2023-01-19
- ↑ Jacqueline Gutierrez, Man killed in Bakersfield police-involved crash, identified, KGET, 2023-01-21
- ↑ Melanie Nguyen, CHP report raises questions about who was driving in fatal BPD crash, Bakersfield.com, 2024-01-18
- ↑ Jason Kotowski, BPD officer arraigned on charges in deadly South Vineland Rd crash, KGET, 2024-01-10
- ↑ Robert Price, Former BPD officer whose 100 mph collision killed Grimmway worker gets felony probation, community service, in plea deal, KGET, 2024-10-17
Recent articles: Joshua Nahulu, Shevoy Brown, Thomas Mascia, Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas (2019), Gerald Goines
To check for incidents in your area, please use the search page or try a random incident.
