Delano, CA — 36-Year-Old Man Dies in Bakersfield Police Custody Following Arrest at Cecil Avenue and Kensington Street

Bakersfield, CA (May 9, 2026) — Andrew Joseph Francisco, a 36-year-old Delano resident, has died after being taken into custody by Bakersfield police officers, according to public statements reported by SehatLaw.

On May 9, 2026, Francisco was taken into custody by Bakersfield police officers at Cecil Avenue and Kensington Street in Delano. While in custody, Francisco became unresponsive and was transported to Adventist Health Delano, where he would later be pronounced dead.

The Kern County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident.

California requires law enforcement agencies to report all deaths that occur in custody under California Government Code § 12525. Where a death occurs during or shortly after a custody arrest, investigators typically evaluate whether monitoring and safety-check procedures were followed, whether the medical response was timely and adequate, whether procedural or environmental factors contributed to the medical emergency, and whether the agency complied with state and local jail-safety standards.

What Families Should Know After an In-Custody Death in California

What is the most urgent deadline?

Under the California Government Claims Act, a formal claim against any government entity - including the Bakersfield Police Department, the City of Bakersfield, and Kern County - must be filed within six months of the incident. For an event on May 9, 2026, that places the deadline on November 9, 2026. Missing this filing can permanently bar a civil lawsuit against the agency, regardless of what the investigation later reveals.

Can the family request an independent autopsy?

Yes. The county Coroner conducts its own examination, but families have the right to engage an independent forensic pathologist for a parallel review. Acting before a body is released matters - once an autopsy is complete and certain procedures are performed, some physical findings cannot be revisited later.

What records can the family request?

Families and their attorneys may request body-worn camera footage, in-car video, dispatch audio, custody and transport records, jail booking and medical screening logs, Adventist Health Delano emergency-response and treatment records, and the Coroner's final report. California Public Records Act requests can be initiated early. Gaps, delays, and missing records in these productions are themselves evidence.

What are the longer filing deadlines?

Under California law, both wrongful death and personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the underlying event (CCP § 335.1 and § 377.60). Federal civil rights claims under § 1983 follow California's two-year personal injury statute. The six-month Government Claims Act deadline still controls whether a claim against a government agency can proceed at all.

About The Law Offices of Christian Contreras

Attorney Christian Contreras has built his practice on civil rights cases against California government agencies - including a $25 million civil rights verdict against a government entity and a $5 million wrongful death settlement, with more than $150 million recovered for clients across Southern California.

He has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, Univision, and Telemundo for his work on in-custody deaths, police misconduct, and abuses of state power.

The firm handles California in-custody death and wrongful death matters on a contingency fee basis - no upfront costs and no fees unless we recover. Initial consultations are free and completely confidential.

Contact Our Civil Rights Attorneys

If your family is processing the death of a loved one in police custody - in Kern County or anywhere across California - what comes next is not a decision you need to make alone, and not one you need to make in the next ten minutes. But the six-month government claims window does not pause for grief.

Call us when you are ready. We will listen, explain what the timeline actually looks like, and tell you straight whether your case is one we can take.

Here is the record families rely on when they call:

• $150M+ recovered for clients
• $25M civil rights verdict against a government agency
• $5M wrongful death settlement
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• Completely confidential consultations
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Legal Disclaimer

This page is attorney advertising and is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Incident information is based on publicly available reports and may change as the investigation continues. The Law Offices of Christian Contreras is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any law enforcement or emergency response agency. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and no outcome is promised or implied.