Man accused of threatening Kern County Supervisor Jeff Flores says he sent emails to all supervisors, insists he's the one being threatened in jailhouse interview
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The 61-year-old man accused of threatening Kern County Supervisor Jeff Flores is due back in court next Thursday.
This week, Parrish Buzzard agreed to speak with 17 News for a jailhouse interview. He has been charged with three felonies and is being held without bail at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility.
17's Jenny Huh: 'You're being accused of sending threatening messages.'
Parrish Buzzard: 'No, no, they're threatening me, man.'
17's Jenny Huh: 'So, going back to Jeff Flores, tell us more specifically how Flores is threatening you?'
Man arrested after allegedly sending threats to member on Board of Supervisors
Parrish Buzzard: 'It's the whole Board of Supervisors. It's the whole thing. They never reached out; they took my money.'
Parrish Buzzard also called Supervisor Jeff Flores a creep.
But Buzzard said he sent emails to all five county supervisors, not just Flores.
'It was really to different ones, it means all of them [supervisors], I just didn't have time to type it all in and stuff,' Buzzard said.
17's Jenny Huh: 'So, it just happened to go to Jeff Flores, but you're not targeting him?'
Parrish Buzzard: 'No, I sent it to different, other supervisors too, to all of them.
17's Jenny Huh: 'I don't think they received it, they said it was only Flores?'
Parrish Buzzard: 'That's false.'
Buzzard faces three felony charges — stalking, making criminal threats and threatening a state official.
Charges filed against man accused of threatening Supervisor Jeff Flores
A public defender entered not guilty pleas on Buzzard's behalf.
But during his arraignment, Buzzard lashed out, using numerous profanities.
'Well, I had a real bad headache, and I was in a lot of pain in. My foot and arm and stuff, and I was filthy and all this stuff, and they weren't being cool at all,' Buzzard explained. 'I think when she was saying I was stalking, I thought what are you talking about? I'm the one that's been stalked for years, many, many years.'
He also said he's been homeless, suffers from PTSD, has had seizures and said many people have tried to kill him.
A significant portion of the 50-minute-long conversation was filled with tangents, incoherence and countless references to politicians, books, movies and music, including 'Silence of the Lambs,' 'Jeepers Creepers,' 'The Truman Show,' Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer.
Buzzard also lamented about not being able to receive Social Security and disability benefits — as well as healthcare and housing assistance — for years.
Through the interview, 17 News learned Buzzard is an introvert who was born and raised in Fresno. He said he moved to Bakersfield in May 2022 because he felt Fresno was like a 'death trap.'
Buzzard also had scratches on his face. He said he claws his skin during his sleep and said he has frequent nightmares and 'very terrible nights.'
Man charged with threatening Jeff Flores removed from court after profane outburst
In a statement to 17 News, Flores said: 'Prior to the recent hundred-plus emails from Mr. Parrish Buzzard I, nor my staff, have ever had any interaction with him. I do not know him, nor have I ever met him. Additionally, I have never threatened Mr. Buzzard in any way. Unfortunately, he's the one who's threatening me. I am always committed to serving all my constituents who reach out for assistance to the best of my ability.'
17 News asked Buzzard about allegations he had threatened former District 3 Supervisor Mike Maggard. Buzzard denied those allegations, saying he doesn't know who Maggard is.
17 News also asked about a prior arrest in Fresno for the same charge — criminal threats. Buzzard was unable to detail specifics about the incident.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Philadelphia woman's life turned upside down after Social Security deems her dead — and she's not the only one
Renee Williams was very much alive and living in West Philadelphia when she discovered a serious problem. Her bank accounts, health insurance and retirement benefits had all been cut off. The reason? She'd been placed in the "Death Master File" maintained by the Social Security Administration. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Williams has spent more than six months trying to ensure everything is restored and lives in fear she'll lose it all again due to a clerical error. "I go to sleep at night and think about if they're going to cut me off again, not knowing day-to-day what's going to happen to my benefits," Williams told CBS News Philadelphia. It's a reasonable concern. Her benefit payments are still inconsistent, credit and banking issues remain and the whole experience has been 'a pain in the behind.' Worse still, she's not the only American in this situation. Sadly, such problems may only get worse as the Trump administration culls government jobs and overhauls agencies — with the Social Security Administration (SSA) a top target. In April, an estimated 2,500 SSA workers accepted buyouts as part of the government's efforts to eliminate 7,000 jobs in the agency, AARP reports. According to the Social Security Administration, less than 1% of the three million deaths the SSA records annually are incorrect. That works out to about 10,000 people a year whom the SSA deems dead, but who are actually alive. That's not good. But Elon Musk has inadvertently made the problem worse. Ironically, that's because he's more concerned about benefits going out to people who are dead, claiming rampant fraud. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it That's one reason he overhauled the Social Security Administration database as part of the Department of Government Efficiency DOGE — to eliminate such errors. Unfortunately, as the Daily Beast reports, that overhaul is now cutting off benefits to a growing number of people who, like Williams, are alive and well but who are declared dead. According to ABC News, experts believe Musk may have misread the records by reading the wrong databases. Rennie Glasgow, a Social Security claims technical analyst who has worked in the Social Security Administration's Schenectady field office for 15 years, told the Daily Beast that 4 million people have been marked dead on the database as a result of the DOGE overhaul — even though many are alive. 'We have people who did not receive benefits come in every day with their ID and say, 'I'm not dead, I'm alive!'' he said, noting it can take three to four days to 'resurrect' them. "When they mark someone dead on the Social Security record, it stops their life,' Glasgow said. 'It stops their car payments, it stops their credit, it stops their ability to do anything. One Philadelphia consumer protection attorney, Jim Francis, is helping these victims fight back. "These are all people who are going about their normal lives, and all of the sudden, they lose access to all of their benefits, their pension, their medical insurance and they become financially paralyzed," Jim Francis told CBS News. Francis is representing a Baltimore family in Baltimore that is trying to initiate a class action against Social Security after their relative, Joyce Evans, was improperly reported dead in 2023. The family claims the mistake caused financial and health problems, leading Joyce Evans to actually die months after the error occurred. "It's a really serious problem and in the world of data being misreported, this is almost as bad as it gets, if not the worst,' Francis said. If you have been improperly marked as being deceased, make an appointment with your local Social Security Administration field office as soon as possible. You'll need to bring valid ID with you, which can include one of the following documents: Passport Driver's license Employee ID Military record School ID Marriage, divorce or adoption record Health insurance card or medical record Life insurance policy Court order for name change Church membership The original documents, or copies certified by the issuing agency, must be presented to the Social Security Administration. No photocopies are accepted. Once Social Security corrects your record, they will provide an 'Erroneous Death Case - Third Party Contact" Notice that you can show to banks, doctors and others to get your accounts back and your life restored. Hopefully, field offices will be responsive in preparing this document, despite staff shortages and a growing number of the 'undead' fighting to restore their lives. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Doomsday Mom' removed from courtroom; 'Devil in the Ozarks' captured
PHOENIX - From the latest on the hunt for an escaped former Arkansas police chief to tense moments during the Lori Vallow Daybell trial, here's a look at some of the top stories on for Friday, June 6, 2025. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing its Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security data once restricted by federal privacy law. Read More
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Vince Fong introduces SKIM Act to combat EBT fraud
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — For months, KGET has followed the EBT fraud crisis in Kern County. What started out as calls to our newsroom led to the revelation of dozens of victims and thousands of dollars in benefits stolen. The investigation shed light on millions of stolen dollars and a sophisticated Romanian crime ring operating across the county. After countless attempts of asking elected officials for answers, change may be coming from Capitol Hill. Skimming Scheme: The Romanian crime ring stealing EBT benefits in Kern County On Friday, Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) introduced the 'Stopping Klepto-card and Identity Misuse Act' — or SKIM Act. This legislative effort is specifically designed to crack down EBT theft, that is Electronic Benefit Transfer, known as CalFresh and CalWorks in California. Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) is a co-sponsor of the bill. Through 17 News' investigation, we uncovered that the California Department of Social Services has lost more than $439 million in EBT benefits since 2021. In the last seven months, more than $2 million in Kern County taxpayer money has been stolen. Ex-Arvin teacher accused of sex with underage student set for hearing next week The SKIM Act directs the U.S. Attorney to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to fight EBT fraud. It also asks sentencing guidelines to be much harder on EBT thieves. The bill also asks the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on their efforts to prevent, investigate, prosecute, and sentence convicted EBT thieves. You can read the SKIM Act in full here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
