BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As Bakersfield police report declines in gang-related killings, other categories of violence — including domestic violence and cases involving homeless individuals — now account for a greater share of the city’s homicides.
According to Bakersfield Police Department data, domestic violence-related homicides have remained consistent over the past three years. Yet with other types of killings dropping, domestic violence now makes up nearly one-quarter of all homicides in the city.
Assistant Police Chief Brent Stratton said the department averages nearly 3,000 domestic violence cases each year. So far in 2025, police have recorded three domestic violence homicides, putting them on pace with last year’s total of five.
“Domestic violence homicides are not a one-and-done situation,” said Lauren Skidmore, CEO of The Open Door Network, a local victim support organization. “We know that there are numerous leading-up events before what could become a violent interaction.”
Bakersfield police statistics show domestic violence calls for service have decreased compared with the same period over the past two years. However, the number of formal reports has increased, suggesting that fewer incidents are being called in but more are leading to criminal cases.
“It’s really causing us to start to dig a little bit deeper and figure out what trends we’re seeing,” Stratton said. “By the time it reaches the level of a domestic violence homicide, it’s usually not the first time it’s occurred in that relationship.”
One case police and advocates have reviewed is that of 36-year-old Crystal Acevedo, who died in August 2024 from head injuries. Investigators said her boyfriend, 40-year-old Ricardo Valles, had recently been paroled for a previous domestic violence conviction. Text messages between the couple included Valles saying, “I pushed you but you didn’t fall, that was it,” and “I swear I’ll change everything about me, please.”
Skidmore said gaslighting and manipulation are common in abusive relationships. “Absolutely,” she said. “Gaslighting, manipulation, scare tactics — we see it all the time.”
Investigators later learned that in the days before her death, Valles called Acevedo nearly 200 times and sent multiple threatening messages. In one video, Acevedo said she was “super scared” and had reached out to a medium for help.
Police hope cases like Acevedo’s will help shape a proactive prevention model, similar to BPD’s existing gun violence intervention program. Stratton said he envisions using criminologists and data analysis to identify victims at elevated risk before violence escalates.
Skidmore said advocates are also focusing on warning signs that could prompt earlier intervention. “We might look at a restraining order as the first triggering piece,” she said. “We’ve also seen cases where perpetrators use child custody as a way to keep the violence present.”
Both police and advocates say understanding these patterns could lead to earlier outreach and better protection for victims.
“I hope it makes an impact,” Skidmore said. “If anything, I hope we learn about the trends and have deep and innovative conversations.”
With October marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month, BPD leaders say they plan to use new data and stronger community partnerships to turn that understanding into prevention.
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