BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A Kern County man faces up to 13 years in prison after being convicted of assault. The DA’s office said the man drove his SUV into a victim’s car, causing the car to go into a canal during a road rage incident in 2020.
Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on February 24, 2026, a Kern County jury found Abel Rodriguez Almanza guilty of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of reckless driving following a road rage incident.
The DA’s office said on June 23, 2020, Almanza pursued the victims, a married couple, for several miles after becoming enraged during a merge in traffic on Highway 99. After the initial confrontation, Almanza continued to follow the victims off the freeway and onto surface streets.
According to the DA’s office, during the pursuit, he aggressively targeted their vehicle and ultimately drove his SUV into the victims’ car as they tried to make a lawful right turn onto South H Street in Bakersfield. The impact caused the victims’ vehicle to lose control, cross multiple lanes of traffic, and enter a canal that was filled with water.
The vehicle became partially submerged, and the couple was forced to escape through rising water.
The DA’s office said evidence presented at the jury trial showed that Almanza admitted to law enforcement that he was in “road rage mode” and that he struck the victims’ vehicle during the encounter.
Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on February 24, 2026, a Kern County jury found Abel Rodriguez Almanza guilty of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of reckless driving following a road rage incident. PHOTO: Kern County DA
At the end of the trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts. In a separate proceeding, the court found true that Almanza suffered a prior strike conviction for carjacking, which elevates his potential sentence on new felony convictions.
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented on the conviction, saying, “Road rage is not just a momentary lapse in judgment – in many cases, it is a crime. Allowing anger to override reason and using a two-ton vehicle as a deadly weapon can result in catastrophic consequences. This conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving reflects our community’s commitment to protecting innocent drivers from senseless violence.”
Following the verdict, the court remanded Almanza into custody pending sentencing.
Almanza’s sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2026. His prior strike conviction qualifies him for elevated sentencing of up to 13 years in prison.