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Entire Hells Angels Bakersfield Chapter Arrested for Assault, Kidnapping
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By Anthony W. Haddad
Published 11 months ago on
June 26, 2024

Six members of the Hells Angels, including the president and vice-president of the Bakersfield chapter, were arrested on multiple felony charges in a major operation by law enforcement. Firearms, ammunition, and high-capacity magazines were seized. (Kern County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)

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Six members of the Hells Angels, including the president and vice-president of the Bakersfield chapter, were arrested on Tuesday on various violent charges in a major crackdown.

Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, Joshua Zavala, 31, and John Seeger, 57, all of Bakersfield, were taken into custody early Tuesday, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

Additionally, Joshua Vaughn, 37, of Bakersfield, was already in custody on separate charges. Authorities executed eight search warrants across various locations in Bakersfield.

During the operation, more than 150 law enforcement personnel from the sheriff’s office, CHP, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized about 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines, and gang-related paraphernalia.

Weapons taken from the Bakersfield Hells Angels Chapter on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Facebook/Kern County Sheriff’s Office)

Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr., and Zavala are confirmed members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club’s Bakersfield chapter. Vaughn and Seeger are affiliated with the Sons of Hell Motorcycle Club, a subordinate group that operates under the Hells Angels’ direction.

The suspects face charges including kidnapping, first-degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, witness intimidation, and elder abuse. They were booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Lerdo Facility.

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Anthony W. Haddad,
Multimedia Journalist
Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.

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