Hells Angels Chapter Arrested in California for Violent Crimes

The Kern County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of the Bakersfield chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle club as part of a criminal street gang investigation. The suspects face charges including kidnapping, robbery, and assault.

**Kern County, California** - An entire chapter of the infamous Hells Angels motorcycle club has been arrested in California as part of a criminal street gang investigation and now face serious charges, including kidnapping, robbery, and assault, according to police.

Hells Angels Chapter Arrested in California for Violent Crimes

The Kern County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests, stating that the Bakersfield chapter of the "outlaw motorcycle gang" was taken into custody on Tuesday following a joint probe with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the California Highway Patrol.

"More than 150 law enforcement personnel seized approximately 25 firearms, ammunition, multiple high-capacity magazines, and gang affiliate paraphernalia," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Hells Angels Chapter Arrested in California for Violent Crimes

The Sheriff's Office released images of the seized items, which included several rifles, handguns, ammunition, magazines, patches, jackets, and other gang-related clothing, laid out on a table.

Those arrested were identified as Ricardo Alvarez, 42, Armando Villasenor, 55, Joseph Soto Sr., 57, Joseph Soto Jr., 33, Joshua Zavala, 31, and John Seeger, 57, all from Bakersfield.

Hells Angels Chapter Arrested in California for Violent Crimes

A seventh suspect linked to the investigation, 37-year-old Joshua Vaughn, was already in custody on other charges, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"Alvarez, Villasenor, Soto Sr., Soto Jr., and Zavala are active, patched members of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Bakersfield Chapter," police added. "Vaughn and Seeger are members of the Sons Of Hell Motorcycle Club. This sub-affiliate Motorcycle Club takes orders and direction from the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club."

Hells Angels Chapter Arrested in California for Violent Crimes

The Hells Angels members now face charges including kidnapping, first-degree robbery, criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, criminal conspiracy, intimidating a witness or victim, and elder abuse, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

The arrests are part of a larger investigation into criminal street gang activity in Kern County. The Hells Angels have a long history of involvement in organized crime, including drug trafficking, extortion, and violence.

The Kern County Sheriff's Office emphasized that the arrests do not reflect on all motorcycle clubs and that they respect and work with legitimate motorcycle clubs that uphold the law.

The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are possible. The Kern County Sheriff's Office encourages anyone with information about criminal street gang activity in Kern County to contact them at (661) 861-3110.