A Kern County Jury returned a guilty verdict in a case in...

A Kern County Jury returned a guilty verdict in a case in which a man murdered the security guard at Gravity Tobacco during a robbery. The business had hired the security guard two weeks prior to the murder, following a prior robbery committed by the defendant at the same location.

Cesar Vasquez was found guilty of First Degree Felony Murder with the special circumstance that the murder happened during the commission of a robbery. In addition, Vasquez was also convicted of attempted robbery and robbery. The allegations of being personally armed with a firearm and personally discharging a firearm causing death were found to be true.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy DA Leanne Wilder.

In the afternoon of July 3, 2022, Kern County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to Gravity Tobacco in Oildale for reports of a shooting that had occurred. Upon their arrival, they found Odulio Rodriguez suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Mr. Rodriguez succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Upon investigation, Vasquez is seen on video surveillance arriving to Gravity Tobacco, committing the homicide, and fleeing in his vehicle. The video surveillance, in additional to evidence collected at the scene, led Deputies to Vasquez.

Vasquez was arrested and interviewed by homicide detectives a few days after the homicide. During the interrogation, Vasquez confessed to robbing Gravity Tobacco on July 3, 2022 and shooting and killing Odulio Rodriguez during the robbery. He also admitted to a previous robbery he had committed at the same location on May 20, 2022.

DA Zimmer commented; “No one deserves to lose their life to a senseless, selfish acts of violence. While nothing can undo the life that has been taken, the gravity of a homicide committed in the course of another felony warrants a sentence ensuring that Vasquez will never again walk free in our community.”

Sentencing is set for June 2, 2026. Vasquez faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.