BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The California Board of Parole Hearings has denied parole to a man convicted of robberies, attempted murder, and commercial sexual exploitation of a minor, dating back to 1985, following a parole suitability hearing.
The Board determined that he continues to pose a current and unreasonable risk to public safety and issued a three-year denial.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said 65-year-old Lenel Randolph, a native of Bakersfield, spent years terrorizing local neighborhoods. His extensive Kern County criminal history includes robberies, attempted murder, and the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor.
The DA’s office said that on October 23, 1985, Randolph entered the Bakersfield home of an 82-year-old resident to commit a robbery. During the crime, Randolph drew a knife and stabbed the elderly victim numerous times, causing severe injuries. He was subsequently convicted of residential robbery and attempted second-degree murder and sentenced to a 10-year prison term.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said 65-year-old Lenel Randolph, a native of Bakersfield, spent years terrorizing local neighborhoods. His extensive Kern County criminal history includes robberies, attempted murder, and the commercial sexual exploitation of a minor. PHOTO: Kern County DA
According to the DA’s office, in March 1994, Randolph and an accomplice targeted a 13-year-old runaway girl in Bakersfield. Randolph sex-trafficked the girl to support his drug habit and sexually assaulted her in a motel room. He was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution and lewd acts, resulting in an 8-year prison term, during which he violated parole seven separate times.
Randolph was also later convicted in Kern County for indecent public exposure and domestic battery against his wife. The DA’s office said his life sentence stems from an October 4, 2003, incident where Bakersfield police officers tried to contact Randolph at an apartment complex. Randolph ran away, ignored multiple verbal commands to halt, and abruptly assumed a fighting stance against chasing officers, according to the DA’s office.
After refusing to comply, he was found discarding a baggie of solid cocaine base, a glass smoking pipe, and a steak knife with burnt residue, according to the DA’s office.
On December 15, 2003, Randolph pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 25 years to life as a Third Strike offender. Randolph has served 22 years of a life sentence.
On June 4, 2026, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office opposed Randolph’s release at the state prison hearing, highlighting his absolute lack of rehabilitation and his refusal to take responsibility for his sex crimes. Randolph has continuously minimized his actions, claimed memory loss regarding his indecent exposure, and denied that he is a sex offender, falsely claiming he “did not touch” the 13-year-old victim.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented by saying, “Lenel Randolph has spent his entire adult life cycling through state prison and exploiting the most vulnerable members of our community. My office will continue to attend these hearings in an attempt to ensure that career criminals serve the full measure of their sentences for the protection of our public.”