BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Kern County coroner has identified 29-year-old Luis Fernando Vargas Quintero as the victim of a deadly altercation at Triple T’s Tavern in Ridgecrest.
According to officials, on May 26 around 1:50 a.m. Quintero was found injured in the west-side of the building located at 117 East Ridgecrest Boulevard.
Initial reports said that Ridgecrest PD Officer Beard was on-duty and patrolling the area when he observed an altercation involving Quintero and another man. He observed Quintero fall to the ground, and the other man, later identified as Richard Castleberry, run northbound from the parking lot. Castleberry was eventually detained by cops.
Officers responded back to the parking lot where they located Quintero suffering from a head injury. Further investigation revealed that Castleberry allegedly punched Quintero in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
Quintero was taken to Ridgecrest Regional Medical Center where he later died from his injury.
Castleberry was arrested and taken into the Kern County Jail – Mojave where he was booked. He's been charged with first degree murder. According to court records, Castleberry has several felony charges including assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm and battery on a person.
