BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A man accused of kidnapping a woman from an In-Shape gym parking lot on Coffee Road and raping her was found guilty on all charges on Wednesday, announced the Kern County District Attorney.
On April 15, 2026, Vincent Deleon was convicted on all charges, including rape, oral copulation by force, sodomy, rape with a foreign object, carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy, dissuading a witness, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and being a felon with a firearm.
Vincent Deleon. Photo: Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
The incident dates back to Dec. 15, 2023, when the victim, an adult woman, was leaving the In-Shape gym, located at 3409 Coffee Road. Prosecutors said as she was getting into her car, Vincent Deleon, in a mask and gloves, armed with a gun, opened the driver’s side door, pointed the gun at her head, and demanded that she move into the front passenger seat.
Deleon kidnapped the woman and drove her car to two banks and demanded that she withdraw cash using her debit card from the drive-through ATM. Deleon stole $500 from the victim’s account, the DA said.
While Deleon drove the victim to various rural locations in Kern, he repeatedly threatened to kill her, said the DA.
Prosecutors said Deleon drove her car into a remote orange orchard off Maricopa Highway, and there, he forcibly raped, sodomized, and orally copulated her against her will.
Following the sexual acts, he drove the victim to the Vallarta Supermarket on Panama Lane and dropped her off. He threatened to kill her and her family if she reported the crimes to the police, said the DA.
He then used the victim’s credit card at a Bakersfield store to buy clothes for himself. Within two hours, Bakersfield police found Deleon driving the victim’s car, leading them on a high-speed chase.
The pursuit ended when Deleon crashed the victim’s car and fled on foot. He was arrested shortly after in an alley in east Bakersfield.
Several forensic samples were analyzed by the Kern Regional Crime Laboratory, connecting Deleon to the case. Employees also gave opinions regarding the presence of DNA.
“My heart breaks for the victim, who, like many others in similar circumstances, must endure the lifelong pain inflicted upon her,” stated District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. “I hope this verdict brings the victim some measure of closure as she continues on her path toward healing. As for Deleon, he will remain behind bars where he belongs, never again able to inflict such monstrous harm on anyone in the community.”
Deleon is set to be sentenced on June 24, 2026. He faces the possibility of five consecutive life terms in state prison.