A Bakersfield woman accused of firing into a local television station twice in five days has been arraigned on felony and misdemeanor charges, KGET 17 reported on Wednesday, October 21. Thomashana Renee Zeigler, 46, is accused of shooting at the shared studios of KBAK (CBS) and KBFX (Fox) on October 9 and again on October 13. The charges are allegations, and Zeigler has not been convicted of any offence in the case.
Source: KGET 17 via Bakersfield Brief
In the first attack, on the night of October 9, police said 10 rounds struck a conference room and an office at the station. Gunfire hit the building again on the morning of October 13, when three employees were inside. Officers recovered nearly a dozen .40-calibre shell casings after the second shooting. No one was injured in either incident, the Bakersfield Police Department said.
Source: U.S. Press Freedom Tracker via Radio Free
Zeigler was arrested on October 15 after officers stopped her vehicle as she was allegedly heading toward the station. Police said they found a loaded .40-calibre handgun and another loaded magazine inside the vehicle, and that the handgun matched shell casings recovered at the scene. Search warrants later led investigators to additional firearms and what police described as further threats directed at the station. Police said the arrest prevented a potential additional shooting.
Source: Internewscast, reporting the Bakersfield Police Department release
Shootings: October 9 (10 rounds into a conference room and office) and October 13 (three employees inside; nearly a dozen .40-calibre casings recovered). Arrest: October 15, during a traffic stop near the station. Injuries: none in either shooting. Bail: $220,000.
Investigators credited surveillance video from nearby businesses, city cameras and automated licence-plate reader images with helping identify the suspected shooter. “The coordinated efforts of the Robbery/Homicide Unit, RTIC, VCAT, and SEU, combined with the effective use of investigative technology, were instrumental in identifying and apprehending the suspect,” police said in a news release.
Zeigler was booked into the Kern County Jail on felony counts including shooting at an inhabited dwelling and carrying a loaded firearm, with bail set at $220,000, according to county records reported by The Desk. Jessica Bellucci, a spokesperson for station owner Sinclair Broadcast Group, said the company was “deeply relieved that a suspect has been arrested” and thanked Bakersfield police, adding that no one was injured. Police have not announced a motive.
Source: The Desk