Fifteen years after 18-year-old Bianca Jackson was killed outside a Cal State Bakersfield party, her mother and childhood friends say they continue to search for justice and keep her memory alive.
“You’re not prepared to bury your child ever,” said Veronica Aguayo, Bianca’s mother. She has never stopped thinking about her daughter since that night in 2010. “It was considered a cold case — no new developments.”
On October 21, 2010, Jackson, a recent Ridgeview High School graduate, had gone with friends to a party at Cal State Bakersfield. As the night went on, tensions rose. Police said a local gang opened fire on rivals, and Jackson was hit as an innocent bystander.
More than 150 people were at the party. A campus police officer responding to a fight heard gunfire ring out in the parking lot. Jackson died the next day at the hospital.
Aguayo believes someone at the party — or others who heard what happened afterward — still hold answers. “We know from the beginning that there were more than one person involved,” she said.
Two men, Jonathan Darnell Bell and Christopher Lee Miller, were initially arrested but later released due to lack of evidence. Police questioned two other individuals but did not file charges. The case has remained unsolved.
“It’s hard to still think that now we’re at 15 years and there’s still no justice for her family,” said Analicia Croonquist, one of Bianca’s close friends. Croonquist and Annika Torres grew up with Bianca — sharing birthdays, drama club rehearsals, and late-night hangouts.
Croonquist even named her daughter Bianca in honor of her friend’s joyful spirit.
“I don’t know if she sees it yet, but I see the funny in her — that little girl,” Torres said.
Authorities recently announced the reward for information has been increased to $10,000. Friends and loved ones hope it will finally bring someone forward, even as they know it can’t bring Bianca back.
“Just to know that somebody’s being held responsible and taking accountability for a life — her life — that was taken,” Aguayo said. “It would help though.”
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: