BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Two individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with a murder that occurred over three years ago in south Bakersfield.
Dahmonte Cooks, 22, and Johnesha Avila, 26, made their initial court appearance on Tuesday, where both entered pleas of not guilty. They remain in custody without bail.
Cooks faces charges including first-degree murder, conspiring to commit a crime, gang conspiracy, and resisting an officer. Avila is charged with conspiring to commit a crime, gang conspiracy, and knowingly harboring or aiding a felon, according to court records.
Cooks has a prior record with several felony convictions between 2022 and 2024, including assault causing great bodily injury, grand theft, and gang involvement.
The victim, 26-year-old Jarvis Keith Naff Jr., was shot and killed on April 17, 2022, after leaving a party on Avila Street. Witnesses reported multiple shooters fled the scene in separate vehicles.
Avila was arrested on Saturday, followed by Cooks on Sunday. Both are scheduled to appear in court again on August 28.
