Update: Bakersfield Police announced that the disturbance from Wednesday night stemmed from a kidnapping and assault.
BPD said 21-year-old Fabian Prieto assaulted a female victim and forced her into a vehicle from an apartment complex in East Bakersfield.
Prieto then drove her to the area of Highway 178 and Morning Drive.
A concerned citizen saw the victim struggling inside the vehicle and decided to intervene. That's when Prieto got out of the vehicle and pointed the gun at the good Samaritan.
The good Samaritan was able to disarm Prieto by hitting Prieto with his car.
Once Prieto was down, the good Samaritan called police.
The assault victim had minor injuries. Further investigation showed she knew Prieto.
Prieto was taken to the hospital. Once he is released he will be booked into Kern County jail for domestic assault, assault with a firearm, kidnapping, and other charges.
BPD called the actions of the good Samaritan "courageous" for stepping in.
"To look at that, to see that something is going on and to risk and put yourself in that position and intervene is definitely admirable," said BPD's Nathan McCauley during a press conference.
According to the Kern County Superior Court, Prierto was previously sentenced to a year in jail for pleading no contest to attempted murder, carrying loaded firearm without registration and assault with firearm.
He served 226 days and was credited for good behavior.
All lanes of Highway 178 just east of Morning Drive were shut down around 11 p.m. Wednesday night for police activity.
The California Highway Patrol and Bakersfield Police Department blocked off all lanes near Tony's Pizza on Highway 178 for several hours.
According to Bakersfield Police they responded to the area on Highway 178 east of Morning Drive for a disturbance in a couple of vehicles.
Officers said the incident started in east Bakersfield, several miles away. Police said there was a disturbance and a good Samaritan intervened.
When officers arrived they found two vehicles involved. Four adults were involved in the incident and one person was transported to an area hospital for minor to moderate injuries following the incident.
Officers would not give any more information about what the disturbance was or how the person was injured.
We'll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
