BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A co-defendant charged in the murder of 18-year-old Evan Zion Alema appeared in court on Monday, according to Kern County court records, as prosecutors continue to pursue a case authorities have described as a gang-related killing.
PREVIOUS REPORTING: Two arrested for deadly shooting of 18-year-old on Meadow Vista Court
Justin Hernandez-Florez faces multiple charges, including murder, in the shooting death of Alema.
Alema was shot Oct. 5, 2025, at 3425 Meadow Vista Court in what police described as a gang-affiliated shooting. Officers found Alema’s body just before 1 a.m., and he died at the scene, according to court documents.
Co-defendant Jaden Ambriz appeared in court a week ago, and that hearing was continued to this morning. The hearing this morning was delayed to May, records show.
FILE: Jaden Ambriz appears in court on April 23, 2026. KBAK/KBFX
According to court records, Ambriz, 20 at the time, and Hernandez-Florez, 24 at the time, waited outside a house party for Alema, who was described as a documented active member of the Colonia Baker Street gang. Police said the two followed Alema to his home, where Hernandez-Flores got out of the passenger seat, pulled out a gun and tried to rob Alema. Alema’s mother watched as the events unfolded, the documents state.
Hernandez-Flores then shot Alema in the neck and left, according to the documents. Police said Hernandez-Flores was a known active East Side Baker Street gang member and was prohibited from possessing weapons. Investigators also noted an ongoing rivalry between the two gangs, and the documents state the killing was done to benefit the East Side Baker Street Gang.
In a police interview, Hernandez-Flores said that as he was getting out of the vehicle, he was grabbed on his arm by Aleman and the gun accidentally discharged. He said he did not intentionally kill Alema and that it was not over the gang rivalry.
However, police said evidence from Flores’s cellphone showed a photo of Hernandez-Flores driving by the crime scene and throwing up a “CK” with his fingers, which police said means “Colonia Killer.”
Ambriz and Hernandez-Florez both pleaded not guilty in Oct. 2025, according to the Kern County court website. They are due to appear in court on May 13, 2026, for a preliminary hearing.