BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Bakersfield Police Department booked three people into the Kern County Jail Thursday on multiple narcotics charges.
In partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and California Highway Patrol, BPD arrested Richard Moran, 38, Frankee Apodaca, 22, and Phillip Padilla, 27, regarding two illegal marijuana dispensaries operating on the 500 block of East California Avenue. Officers also seized illegal fireworks.
Through the multi-agency investigation, law enforcement determined that the businesses were being operated at 518 E. California Ave. and 522 E. California Ave., near a church.
Both businesses were unlawfully engaged in the sale of illegal marijuana products, BPD said.
Narcotics detectives served a search warrant for the 522 E. California Ave. business in March 2026 but the building was posted as “uninhabitable” by Bakersfield Code Enforcement. Despite the code posting, the business resumed operations, BPD said.
Bakersfield Police Department
BPD detectives and the Bakersfield Fire Department’s Arson Investigators conducted an investigation into the illegal sale of fireworks at 518 E. California Ave. BPD said the investigators coordinated their efforts and obtained a search warrant for both locations.
In partnership between the law enforcement agencies, at the 518 E. California Ave. location, officers seized:
84.5 pounds of processed marijuana
134 Dianabol steroid tablets
Two 10 mL vials of Trenbolone
10 400 mg vials of Testosterone
About 5,300 pounds of illegal aerial fireworks
Bakersfield Police Department
At the 522 E. California Ave. location officers seized:
19.1 pounds of processed marijuana
29 individual dosage units of psilocybin
mushrooms
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