BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The California Board of Parole Hearings denied release to a convicted third striker, who was convicted of several burglaries, including one in 1998.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on January 6, 2026, BPH found that Rudolpho Alvarez continues to pose a current and unreasonable risk to public safety.
The DA’s office said on May 31, 1998, Alvarez committed a residential burglary in Bakersfield at the home of a man and his four children. On the night of the burglary, the victim’s children had gone to bed. The DA’s office said their father stayed up and was watching television when, sometime between 9 to 9:30 p.m., the father heard a “thump.”
He thought one of his children might have fallen out of bed. When he heard the second, “thump” the victim went to investigate. When he walked into the hallway, he saw Alvarez standing inside his home holding a foot-long screwdriver, according to the DA’s office.
The two men struggled. During the struggle, the victim believed he heard a “metallic-like click” and felt a cut on his left hand. Alvarez left the house. He left behind one shoe, a wallet, and the screwdriver.
The DA’s office said the investigation revealed that Alvarez forcibly entered the home through the children’s bedroom window.
On September 23, 1999, a Kern County jury convicted Alvarez of one count of residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and simple assault. The jury also found true that Alvarez possessed a deadly or dangerous weapon during the burglary. In a bifurcated hearing, the trial court found true that Alvarez had committed three other residential burglaries that qualified as prior strikes under the California Three Strikes Law.
On October 27, 1999, a Kern County judge sentenced Alvarez to 25 years to life. Alvarez is currently 53 years old. He has served about 27 years and six months.
On January 6, 2026, the BPH conducted Alvarez’s second parole hearing. At the hearing, Alvarez’s commissioners focused on his institutional behavior that involved making money by restitution avoidance, the rental of cell phones, the illegal use of cell phones, as well as his drug and alcohol sales to other inmates.
The BPH found that Alvarez was not suitable for parole because he continued to pose a current unreasonable risk of danger to society. The BPH has the option of denying an inmate parole for a period of 15, 10, 7, 5 or 3 years. Alvarez’s commissioners issued a three-year denial. As such, Alvarez’s next hearing could be 18 months from now.
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented, “Alvarez committed a series of burglaries that resulted in a life sentence under California’s Three Strikes law, which prioritizes public safety by imposing increased penalties on repeat offenders. His misconduct while incarcerated further demonstrates a lack of accountability, unwillingness to reform, and continuing danger to public safety if released.”