BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 A Kern County Superior Court jury convicted Vincent Zavier Deleon of multiple charges, including rape and kidnapping, stemming from a 2023 attack on a woman leaving a Bakersfield gym.<\/p>\n
The jury found Deleon guilty on April 15, 2026, of all charges, which included rape, oral copulation by force, sodomy, rape with a foreign object, carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, conspiracy, dissuading a witness, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and being a felon with a firearm.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 15, 2023, the victim was leaving the In-Shape gym on Coffee Road in Bakersfield. As she got into her car, Deleon, wearing a mask and gloves and armed with a firearm, opened the driver\u2019s door. He pointed the gun at her head and demanded she move to the passenger seat.<\/p>\n
Deleon kidnapped the victim and drove her car to two banks, forcing her to withdraw $500 from drive-through ATMs. He then drove her to a remote orange orchard off Maricopa Highway while repeatedly threatening to kill her.<\/p>\n
At the orchard, Deleon sexually assaulted the victim. Afterward, he drove her to a Vallarta Supermarket on Panama Lane and dropped her off, threatening to kill her and her family if she reported the crimes to the police.<\/p>\n
Deleon used the victim\u2019s debit card at a Bakersfield store to buy clothing. Within two hours, the Bakersfield Police Department located Deleon driving the victim\u2019s car. He led police on a high-speed chase, crashed the car, and fled on foot before being apprehended in an alley in East Bakersfield.<\/p>\n
The Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County District Attorney\u2019s Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Kern Regional Crime Laboratory analyzed forensic samples and provided opinions regarding the presence of DNA.<\/p>\n
“My heart breaks for the victim, who like many others in similar circumstances, must endure the lifelong pain inflicted upon her. I hope this verdict brings the victim some measure of closure as she continues on her path toward healing. As for Deleon, he will remain behind bars where he belongs, never again able to inflict such monstrous harm on anyone in the community,” Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said.<\/p>\n
Deleon is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2026. He faces five consecutive life terms in state prison.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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