Top stories:
- A Kern County jury on Wednesday found a Ridgecrest man guilty of first-degree murder and mutilation in the death of his girlfriend, whom he repeatedly struck in the head with an ice ax.
- A man accused of groping a teen girl will receive a two-year prison term and must register as a sex offender for life after pleading no contest Wednesday to felony sexual battery, according to the District Attorney’s office.
- A woman is dead after a motorcycle and SUV collided on Ming Avenue Wednesday afternoon, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.
