Three local moms, known in the Kern County community as the mothers of missing and murdered cases known as the Bakersfield 3 collaborated with the Kern County Sheriff's Department to raise money for a resource they hope will bring them and other families in their shoes some closure.
SONAR EQUIPMENT FROMTHE BAKERSFIELD 3 CHARITY.23ABC'S DANIELA GARRIDO SPOKEWITH THE DEPARTMENT ONTHE IMPACT THIS NEW TECHNOLOGYCOULD HAVE ONMISSING PERSONS CASES.THREE LOCAL MOMS, KNOWN IN THEKERN COUNTY COMMUNITY ASTHE MOTHERS OF MISSING ANDMURDERED CASES KNOWN AS THEBAKERSFIELD 3 COLLABORATED WITHTHE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'SDEPARTMENT TO RAISE MONEY FOR ARESOURCE THEY HOPE WILL BRINGTHEM AND OTHER FAMILIES IN THEIRSHOES SOME CLOSURE.IN DECEMBER 2018, THE KERNCOUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTCONFIRMED A BODY PART FOUND INTHE WATER AT HART PARK BELONGEDTO MICAH HOLSENBAKE, THE SON OFCHERYL HOLSENBAKE."SOON AFTER THAT THERE WASANOTHER EVENT AT BUENA VISTAWHERE HUMAN REMAINS WASHEDASHORE AND WE WERE IN A LOT OFCONTACT WITH THE SHERIFF'SDEPARTMENT AND WERE CONCERNED IFSEARCH AND RESCUE HAD THEABILITY TO DOUNDERWATER SEARCHES"SINCE HER SON WENT MISSING, THEMOM ALONG WITH TWO OTHERMOMS OF MISSING AND MURDEREDCASES IN KERN COUNTY HAVE BECOMEPART OF THE BAKERSFIELD 3 -ADVOCATING FOR THEIRCHILDREN AND OTHER FAMILIES.THE THREE MOMS FORMED A CHARITYTO RAISE FUNDS FORSEARCH AND RESCUE RESOURCES THATWILL HELP BRINGCLOSURE TO FAMILIES OF MISSINGPERSONS."JUST IN HAVING CONVERSATIONSWITH THEM WE LEARNED THEYOFTEN HAD TO BORROW EQUIPMENTFOR THESE TYPES OFSEARCHES AND DROWNING VICTIMS"TODAY THE CHARITY WILL PRESENTTHEIR FIRST ORGANIZEDDONATION - A NEW SONAR EQUIPMENTWORTH NEARLY17-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HELPEXPEDITE UNDERWATERSEARCHES IN KERN COUNTY.SGT.
ZACK BITTLE/KCSO: "ITSREALLY IMPORTANT TOOUR UNIT BECAUSE ITS GOING TOALLOW US TO SEARCH ANAREA QUICKER ALOT QUICKER THANWE WERE ABLE TO DO WITHOUR CURRENT DEVICE"ACCORDING TO KCSO, THE OLDEQUIPMENT USED FOR THESESEARCHES WAS LABOR INTENSIVE ANDOFTEN INCONCLUSIVE.THE NEW SONAR DEVICE WILL BETOWED BEHIND THE SEARCH ANDRESCUE BOATS AND BE ABLE SCANTHE BODY OF WATER WHILEUSING LESS DIVERS."ITS ALSO GOING TO ALLOW US TODEDICATE MORE OF OUR OWN TIMEUSING THAT SYSTEM IN THE EVENTWERE NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THEMRIGHT AWAY ITS GOING TO PREVENTTHREE CHARITY, THIS DONATION ISTHE FIRST OF MANY.THIS YEAR THEY HOPE TO RAISEMONEY FOR THE SECRET WITNESSREWARDS PROGRAM IN ORDER TOPROVIDE AREWARD FOR ANYONE THAT COMESFORWARD WITHINFORMATION ON MISSING ANDMURDERED CASES IN KERN COUNTY.LET'S CHECK IN NOW WITH 23ABC'SALYSSA FLORES FOR AFIRST LOOK AT YOUR STORM SHIELDFORECAST.HEAT WAVE INTEN