17 News @ Sunrise 08/01/2024

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17 News @ Sunrise 08/01/2024

1 de ago. de 2024 · 24m 18s

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Some of today's top stories - We begin this morning with the latest on the Borel Fire, still burning in the mountains east of Bakersfield. People in those communities still...

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Some of today's top stories

We begin this morning with the latest on the Borel Fire, still burning in the mountains east of Bakersfield.
People in those communities still watching and waiting to return to their homes...or at least to go back and see what's left. The U.S. Forest Service now reporting this wildfire has scorched more than 58-thousand acres.
But firefighters continue to make progress...
The wildfire is about 39-percent contained as of news time.
The Borel Fire started over a week ago when a pick-up truck crashed over the edge of the canyon on highway 178...catching fire and killing the driver.
The inferno exploded in a matter of hours...eating up dry fuel and racing up unforgiving terrain...showing firefighters fire weather they'd never seen in that area before.
It more than tripled in size Friday night...destroying the historic town of Havilah in the process.
The blaze continued to spread over the weekend...threatening the communities of Bodfish and Lake Isabella.
But conditions eased and firefighters reported containment for the first time Monday.
State and local leaders declared Borel an emergency...and CHP reopened highway 178 Tuesday. Still thousands of people remain under evacuation orders and warnings...and, while the scope of the evacuations hasn't grown in days... there's no clear timeline of when those orders will be lifted.
The people of Bodfish are slowly returning to their homes in the Kern River Valley, with the grim prospect of picking up the pieces from the fire that tore through their community.
17's Rob Hagan has more on the relief efforts there.
Price gouging during an emergency like the Borel Fire is illegal.
That's the warning from California's top prosecutor. Attorney General Rob Bonta issuing a reminder to businesses and landlords they cannot raise the prices of essential supplies, hotels, rental housing and more during this time of a natural disaster.
He urges those who believe they've been the victim of price gouging to report it to their local authorities.
Any business found in violation will be subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a year in jail and a possible fine up to $10-thousand dollars.
In your 17 News court watch...
The trial of two men charged with the murder of a Kern County corrections counselor is nearing its end after weeks of testimony. Closing arguments began in a Bakersfield courtroom yesterday.
Prosecutors say Robert Roberts and Sebastian Parra fatally shot prison counselor Benny Alcala Jr. while trying to rob him at the Stockdale Target parking lot the night of Aug. 24, 2022. But an attorney for Roberts says *Parra* was the shooter...painting him as a psychopath who killed Alcala for no reason.
Meantime, Para's lawyer says Roberts acted alone and his client was nearby, but didn't participate.
Closing arguments will resume later this morning.
The discussion on a motion to postpone a preliminary hearing of a former Bakersfield police officer charged with vehicular manslaughter is set for today.
The motion hearing was originally scheduled for July 23rd.
But attorney David A. Torres made a special appearance for the attorney representing former officer Ricardo Robles...and asked that the hearing be moved to August First -- which is today.
The 24-year-old officer is accused of driving a patrol vehicle early January 19th, 2023 at more than 100 mph –- without overhead flashing lights activated — as he tried to catch up to a chase.
He ran a stop sign and hit a Honda Accord at the intersection of South Vineland and Muller roads -- killing the driver, Mario Lares, and seriously injuring the passenger, Ana Hernandez.