BAKERSFIELD — A 42-year-old homeless woman was shot and killed by deputies early Sunday morning after pointing a replica handgun and threatening to shoot them.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began when Maria Rodriguez threw rocks and yelled at deputies at a stone manufacturing business, located in the 1600 block of Union Avenue in Bakersfield at around 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 3. “Deputies on scene tried to help the woman,” said Sheriff’s spokesperson Ray Pruitt. “But when she pointed a handgun at them, all three fired their weapons.” Paramedics arrived on the scene a short time later and pronounced Rodriguez dead.
Another angle of the replica handgun
Consequently, detectives were called out and initiated an investigation, where they discovered that the Rodriguez ‘s gun was a B.B. gun replica of a real semi-automatic handgun. The Sheriff’s Office said that Rodriguez has no affiliation to the stone manufacturing business.
All three deputies will be on paid administrative leave pending a use of force review. An autopsy is scheduled to determine manner and cause of death.
NOTE – Rodriguez was at first misidentified as Sarah Bustamonte. The Coroner later identified the person shot as Maria Rodriguez.
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