BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A man accused of stabbing 21-year-old Jason Raymond Mena, of Bakersfield, to death in January 2025, pleaded no contest on Thursday, March 5, 2026, according to the Kern County court website.
Matthew Chavez pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, which dismissed a murder charge.
Enhancement charges were admitted, including the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon and circumstances of aggravation involving great violence or bodily harm.
On Jan. 20, 2025, at around 2 a.m., Kern County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 3100 block of Pioneer Drive regarding a report of a person who was stabbed. Jason Mena was found with stab wounds. He later died at the hospital.
Accessory charges were dismissed on Thursday against co-defendants Michelle Ballantine and Larry Chavez, court records show.
Matthew, Larry and Ballantine initially pleaded not guilty in December 2025.
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Matthew Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2.