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Vigil to be held for Bakersfield man shot by police 5 years ago

On November 13 in 2014, an unarmed man, James Villegas, who went by the names James de la Rosa, was shot by Bakersfield police officers on Mount Vernon Avenue.
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WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 27: A vigil participant holds a candle during a Havdalah vigil for the victims of the Tree of Life Congregation shooting in front of the White House on October 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. According to reports, a gunman opened fire on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Saturday morning, killing at least 11 people and wounding several police officers before being taken into custody. (Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images)
A vigil participant holds a candle
Posted at 9:09 AM, Nov 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-13 12:13:56-05

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On November 13 in 2014, an unarmed man, James Villegas, who went by the names James de la Rosa, was shot by Bakersfield police officers on Mount Vernon Avenue.

His body was then taken to a room at Kern Medical Center, where reports say his body was "touched and tickled" by a BPD officer, who was later fired for his actions. According to family members, those actions re-opened old wounds stating "for us, it's like losing James all over again."

The family will honor James Wednesday night at 5 p.m. at Greenlawn Cemetery on River Boulevard. The family says that at 7 p.m. they will head to 178 and Mount Vernon Avenue, where they say the life of James was unjustly taken from him.

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