BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A third person has been arrested in connection to the suspicious death of a man found in the backyard of a Southwest Bakersfield home.
Around 9:42 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6, BPD says they located 30-year-old David Williams III at a motel in the 3600 block of Wible Road in Southwest Bakersfield and arrested him for 5 felony counts, including involuntary manslaughter and possession/ purchase for sale of a narcotic/ controlled substance. Williams III was arrested in the suspicious death of 21-year-old Joseph Lara, who was found on January 23 buried in the backyard of a Southwest Bakersfield home.
During the arrest, BPD says officers discovered evidence of narcotics activity in the motel room occupied by Williams and two others, 28-year-old Sidney Moreno and 23-year-old John Moreno, both of Bakersfield.
Williams was charged with possession of controlled substance for sales, destruction of evidence, and conspiracy related to the narcotics activity. Sidney Moreno was arrested and charged with possession of controlled substance for sales, conspiracy, and a misdemeanor warrant for embezzlement. John Moreno was arrested and charged with possession of controlled substance for sales and conspiracy. All three suspects were subsequently booked into the Kern County Jail.
On January 23, BPD detectives arrested Dennis Marroquin for his role in the offense. Marroquin was booked for Destruction of Evidence, Concealing an Accidental Death and conspiracy. According to court documents, Marroquin told police that the victim, identified by family as 21-year-old Joseph Lara, had died of a drug overdose sometime in the past week at a different residence. Marroquin admitted he and another person transported Lara's body to the address on Hathaway, where they burned and buried the body in the backyard, according to court documents.
Detectives also arrested Kailee Morrison on Monday, January 28 for her role in the offense. Morrison was later booked for possession of a controlled substance for sales, possession of marijuana for sales, destruction of evidence, concealing an accidental death, conspiracy and accessory.
