Police and the Kern County Coroner's Office identified the man who died after a September 11 stabbing at a Bakersfield Target as 20-year-old Aden Alejandro Aguilar. Police said the confrontation began in the parking lot and continued inside the store; a 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Bakersfield Police received a report of the stabbing around 8:20 p.m. at the Target located at 2901 Ming Avenue, according to BakersfieldNow. Officers arrived within three minutes and rendered medical aid until emergency crews arrived, but Aguilar could not be saved. The Kern County Coroner's Office later identified him as 20-year-old Aden Alejandro Aguilar of Bakersfield.
According to police, Aguilar and 33-year-old Brett Oleary were involved in an altercation in the parking lot before the confrontation moved inside the store. Officers detained a possible suspect at the scene, and homicide detectives arrested Oleary the next day on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to BakersfieldNow. Investigators also recovered a nearby knife they believe was used in the attack.
Family Says Aguilar Was Trying to Stop a Fight
Aldennisha Rowel, who organized the fundraiser, wrote on the GoFundMe page that Aguilar was killed while trying to intervene in a fight outside the Target, according to the GoFundMe page. That account comes from Aguilar's family and is not presented as a police finding. The fundraiser seeks help with funeral and memorial expenses.
Bakersfield Police say the investigation remains ongoing and have asked anyone with information, video footage, or knowledge of the incident to come forward. The department thanked Target staff, Target's Asset Protection team, and the Valley Plaza Mall security team for their assistance at the scene, per Newsflare.
What Oleary Could Face in Court
Under California Penal Code Sections 187 and 189, a conviction for first-degree murder carries a state prison sentence of 25 years to life, and prosecutors must prove the killing was willful, deliberate and premeditated, or committed under specific statutory aggravating circumstances, according to Elite Criminal Defense. That burden means prosecutors will need to establish malice aforethought alongside evidence of premeditation or deliberate intent as the case proceeds.
Mall Security Cameras and a History of Violence Nearby
The Target sits adjacent to Valley Plaza Mall on Ming Avenue. The mall has parking lots and access points.
It is not the first violent incident tied to the mall's parking areas. In March 2022, a shooting in the Valley Plaza Mall parking structure injured three teenagers during an attempted robbery, as reported by Newsweek at the time.
A City That Has Seen Homicides Drop Sharply
The stabbing comes as Bakersfield has reported a sharp decline in fatal violence overall. Murders in the city fell from 60 in 2021 to 26 in 2024, according to City of Bakersfield.
Shootings Also Declined
The same city figures show that reported shootings fell from 109 in 2021 to 44 in 2024, indicating that the decline extended beyond homicides.
The drop provides context for the city's public-safety efforts. The city said it would formalize its Office of Violence Prevention and Intervention and identified violence-intervention staff in the City Manager's Office.
Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to contact Detective Orozco at (661) 852-7007 or the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111, per a report from BakersfieldNow.
