BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A Kern County man was convicted of residential burglary after he was found eating inside an east Bakersfield home while a 14-year-old girl hid in her bedroom.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on September 16, 2026, a Kern County jury found Mauro Nain Zepeda Gonzalez guilty of one count of first-degree residential burglary.
The jury also found true the special allegation that a victim was present during the burglary.
The DA’s office said on February 16, 2026, at around 10:40 a.m., Bakersfield Police Department officers responded to a call for service in east Bakersfield after a 14-year-old girl reported that an unknown person was inside her home.
The minor victim was hiding in her bedroom when she heard noises, believing an intruder was eating in her kitchen.
The DA’s office said that within minutes, officers responded to the residence and found Zepeda Gonzalez standing inside the kitchen.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on September 16, 2026, a Kern County jury found Mauro Nain Zepeda Gonzalez guilty of one count of first-degree residential burglary. PHOTO: Kern County DA
The victim told officers that there was nothing on the kitchen table when she was last in the room, five minutes prior to the incident. The victim said she heard Zepeda Gonzalez moving throughout the house in the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom before he tried to enter her bedroom, according to the DA’s office.
The victim was able to push back on her bedroom door and block entry.
After searching the residence, officers found the kitchen table a mess, scattered with food, beverage and condiment items.
Zepeda Gonzalez was arrested and taken into custody.
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented saying, “Everyone deserves to feel safe, especially in their own home. I am grateful for the courage of the victim who quickly reported this incident, the swift response by law enforcement, and this conviction, which will help ensure our community is safer.”
Zepeda Gonzalez’s sentencing is set for October 15, 2025, where he faces up to four years in prison.