Accused carjacker who hid in hot tub takes plea deal
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — One of two men accused of stealing a car and leading police on a chase that ended with one of them hiding in a tree, another in a hot tub, has accepted a plea deal, according to court records.
Noe Duran, 19, pleaded no contest to assault with a gun and was sentenced to two years in prison, records show. Six other counts — including carjacking and vehicle theft — were dismissed.
Co-defendant Brandon Garcia is scheduled for trial in May.
At 11:48 a.m. on March 9, 2024, deputies were called by a woman in her 60s who reported a man with a gun was stealing her Chevy SS on Wible Road, between Harris Road and Panama Lane.
She said the man had broken the sunroof to get inside, according to a warrant filed in Superior Court. Another man stood by her driveway next to an orange Corvette.
While the caller stayed on the phone another woman, also in her 60s, tried to get the man out of the vehicle. He pointed a gun at her, the warrant says.
One of the men sped away in the SS, another in the Corvette.
The Corvette was found abandoned minutes later on Rio Lobo Lane, west of Wible and south of McKee Road. A witness said the Corvette did donuts in the street before the driver got out and hopped into the waiting SS, according to the warrant.
At 11:57 a.m., a deputy spotted the SS heading south on Wible Road.
The SS sped up, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph, according to the warrant. The car ran a stop sign at the intersection with Houghton Road and collided with another vehicle.
Duran, the driver, and Garcia ran into an orchard, according to the warrant.
A deputy found Garcia hiding in a tree, the warrant says. Duran was located in a backyard hot tub on Houghton Road, the tub's cover pulled over him.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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