RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — Police say a Ridgecrest man faces several charges including attempted murder after opening fire on two teenage boys who threw water balloons at his truck. (credit: Ridgecrest Police Department) Mark Shell, 63, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of attempted murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, assault with a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He is being held on $1.2 million bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday, according to Kern County sheriff’s jail records. Ridgecrest Regional Hospital officials called p ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBSLA) – A magnitude-3.4 earthquake occurred in the Searles Valley in northwestern San Bernardino County early Friday morning. Nov. 5, 2021. (U.S. Geological Survey) The earthquake occurred at 5:03 a.m. in the Searles Valley area of the Mojave Desert, about 11 miles northeast of the Kern County city of Ridgecrest, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It occurred at a depth of 6.7 miles. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury. A pair of massive earthquakes struck the Ridgecrest and Searles Valley in the Mohave Desert on consecutive days in July of 2019. On the mor ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBS/AP) — A murder suspect was killed Friday morning following a shooting spree and high-speed chase in Kern County. According to Kern County Sheriff’s officials, the unidentified suspect called a Ridgecrest police officer’s cell phone around 5 a.m. and made threats. “He said he wanted to kill police officers, but they had too many guns,” Sheriff Donny Youngblood said. “He said he had a package and he was going to wreak havoc.” Deputies later responded around 7:10 a.m. to assist Ridgecrest police with an assault with a deadly weapon and pursuit call. Authorities said the suspect re ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBSLA.com) — Taco Bell has launched an investigation into an online photo of an employee licking a line of taco shells. The picture, posted by user “Jj O’Brien Nolan” on the fast food chain’s Facebook feed Sunday, was reportedly taken at a Taco Bell in Ridgecrest, which is located in Kern County. A manager at the restaurant told CNBC, “We’re currently dealing with it.” In a statement on Facebook, the company said it believes the entire situation was a prank. “We have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations. We believe this is a prank and the food ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — A U.S. Navy jet from Lemoore went down Tuesday near the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, but the pilot was not hurt. N364579 03: File Photo: An F/A-18E “Super Hornet” Strike- Fighter Banks Into A Turn During Operational Testing At The Naval Air Weapons Station At China Lake, Ca. December 1999. (Photo By U.S. Navy/Getty Images) The F/A-18E Super Hornet from Naval Air Station Lemoore was on a routine training flight when it “experienced a mishap,” the naval base posted on Facebook. The plane went down in the area of State Routes 178 and 14 at about 11 a.m. and igni ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — Several small earthquakes rattled the desert near Ridgecrest, the area hit last summer by a magnitude-7.1 quake. The largest earthquake that struck Sunday at 9:15 p.m. had a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 and was centered about 14 miles west of Ridgecrest, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Less than an hour earlier, an area further away to the northwest of Ridgecrest was hit by a magnitude-3.0 earthquake. Last Wednesday, a magnitude-5.5 quake jolted the region. This is the same area hit hard by earthquakes measuring 6.4 and 7.1 in July of last year ..read more

NEAR RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the remote Kern County community of Searles Valley Thursday morning just as families were celebrating the Fourth of July. The quake, which began at 10:33 a.m., was centered about 160 miles northeast of Los Angeles and near the Mojave Desert. There were no reports of serious injuries. (USGS) According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was 7.5 miles southwest of Searles Valley at a depth of 6.6 miles. The earthquake was initially given a magnitude of 6.6, but was later revised to a 6.4. It’s the largest ear ..read more

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck near Ridgecrest in Kern County Thursday. Those who felt the earthquake in different cities across Southern California took to social media to share videos and photos of different damage. #Update: Incredible picture of a road ripped open just out from the town of #Trona in #California, after the 6.4 magnitude #earthquake has been felt in that region. pic.twitter.com/kz6ZpgLkdl — Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) July 4, 2019 Crazy how long we rolled in this #quake #6.4 #Ridgcrest pic.twitter.com/dUftZZQIiQ — Stacie Henry (@henr ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — The steady string of aftershocks that have been rumbling around Ridgecrest appear to be headed for a fault that could cause a devastating earthquake of magnitude 8 or more. Micro earthquakes have been shaking Ridgecrest since it was hit by a 7.1 quake on July 5, less than 48 hours after a 6.4 foreshock. The latest relatively moderate shaker was a 4.6 that struck Coso Junction after 9 p.m. Wednesday. It was followed in quick succession by two earthquakes that were both magnitude-3.4. The Los Angeles Times says the aftershocks appear headed southeast toward the Garlock Fault ..read more

RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — Earthquakes continued to rattle the Central Valley desert this weekend, the biggest of which was a magnitude-4.3 that struck 29 miles from Ridgecrest. (credit: USGS) The magnitude-4.3 earthquake hit the community of Searles Valley at 10:53 p.m. Sunday. It was followed up a few hours later by a magnitude-2.2 earthquake at 4:20 a.m. Monday. “Did You Feel It?” responses mostly came in from Ridgecrest and nearby Trona, but some came in from Upland in San Bernardino County, Burbank in Los Angeles County and Fillmore in Ventura County. Ridgecrest was the epicenter of two earth ..read more