BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Kern County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that a man who burglarized a home with a minor present was found guilty by a jury.
The District Attorney’s office said the jury found Mauro Nain Zepeda Gonzalez guilty of first-degree burglary, in the case that was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Spencer Scher.
The case stems from an incident on the morning of Feb. 16, 2026, when officers with the Bakersfield Police Department responded to an East Bakersfield call.
In the call for service, a 14-year-old girl told BPD officers that an unknown person was in her home.
The DA’s office said the girl hide in her bedroom when she heard noises, “believing an intruder was eating in her kitchen.”
Law enforcement said within minutes of the call to BPD officers responded to the residence and found Zepeda Gonzalez standing in the kitchen.
“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 DA’s office said in a statement. “The victim said she heard Zepeda Gonzalez moving throughout the house in the kitchen, hallway and bathroom before he attempted to enter her bedroom. The victim was able to push back on her bedroom door and block entry.”
While searching the residence, officers found the kitchen table to be a mess with food, beverages and condiment items scattered, officials said. Zepeda Gonzalez was arrested and taken into custody.
In a statement on Thursday, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said that “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,” she said.
The DA said Zepeda Gonzalez faces up to four years in prison.
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