BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A Wasco couple was arrested after allegedly speeding through an active work zone in McFarland, brandishing a knife, and pepper-spraying two Public Works employees Monday morning.
The McFarland Police Department said on February 3, 2026, at around 10:45 a.m., two City of McFarland Public Works employees were conducting street maintenance work near the intersection of Browning Road and Glenwood Avenue.
McFarland police said during the course of their work, a white Chevrolet SUV occupied by a man and a woman allegedly drove through the active work zone at a high rate of speed. The city employees warned those inside the vehicle to slow down.
The vehicle then turned around, parked nearby, and the occupants confronted the employees in a threatening manner.
During the confrontation, the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Francisco Romero Jr. of Wasco, allegedly brandished a knife in a threatening manner toward the employees.
The passenger, later identified as 33-year-old Danielle Respicio of Wasco, got out of the vehicle and allegedly sprayed pepper spray at both employees. The suspects then drove away from the scene in the vehicle.
Through investigation, McFarland Police Department officers determined the suspects lived in Wasco. Both Romero and Respicio were subsequently found and arrested in the 900 block of Oak Avenue in Wasco.
Both suspects were taken and booked at the Lerdo Justice Facility for:
Use of a tear gas weaponUse of a caustic chemical with intent to injureAssault on a city worker performing maintenance on a city street
No serious injuries were reported, according to police.
This investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call the McFarland Police Department at 661-792-2121.