A 51-year-old man has pleaded no contest to robbery charges stemming from a string of break-ins at the Kern County Jury Services Building, where thieves made off with laptops, cellphones, a wheelchair and even a water cooler over the course of several days. Alan Wayne Cofield was one of five people accused in the burglary spree, but four others remain unidentified months later.
Cofield pleaded no contest to one robbery count and a misdemeanor, according to KGET 17 News. He had originally been charged with two felony robbery counts and one misdemeanor drug charge, according to court records cited by the station. Several suspects broke into the building at 1661 L St. in Bakersfield, per a detective's filing, with the group entering the public defender's office housed inside.
Court documents describe a haul that went well beyond office electronics. Suspects stole laptops, cellphones, a wheelchair, flash drives, external hard drives, and camera and identification equipment, according to the same court document reviewed by the station's report. They also took knives, speakers, bags, purses, dollies and a water cooler, per the same account.
Burglaries Stretched Across Multiple Weekends
The break-ins occurred Aug. 22–24, 2026, the station's report states. Bakersfield police asked the public to help identify five suspects a couple of days after the burglaries came to light, according to bakersfield.com, which reported that the five broke into the building at 1661 L St. and stole electronics and other items over several days.
Cofield was arrested on Aug. 31, court records show. Police recovered a small portion of the stolen items after searching his home in the 1300 block of Chester Avenue, per the court document, and the Bakersfield Police Department obtained a warrant to seize and examine his cellphone data for possible information, the document states. Cofield reportedly refused to tell investigators where the remaining stolen items or outstanding suspects could be found.
Public Defender's Office Says No Confidential Files Were Taken
The Kern County Public Defender's Office, which shares space in the building, was also broken into during the spree. Office spokesperson Peter Kang said there's no indication that any confidential case information was accessed or taken, addressing one of the more sensitive concerns raised by the burglaries.
17 News contacted the Bakersfield Police Department on Tuesday asking whether the four other suspects had been identified or arrested, but no response had been received by Wednesday afternoon. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective R. Ryder at 661-326-3273 or the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111.
Sentencing Set for Mid-November
Cofield is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13. He faces 28 months in prison in this case, and the Kern County District Attorney's Office says he faces about six years combined across his other cases. Under California Penal Code section 211, robbery is defined as the felonious taking of personal property from another person's possession or immediate presence, against that person's will, through force or fear, according to California Legislative Information.
