Suspect in CDCR counselor’s slaying refuses to attend court
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A day after saying he’s concerned about getting a fair trial, Robert Pernell Roberts, one of two men arrested in the death of a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor, refused to attend a hearing Friday.
Roberts, who is being held without bail, refused to leave Lerdo Jail to come to Kern County Superior Court for a hearing in which scheduling in his case was expected to be discussed.
Judge Michael G. Bush set another hearing for Feb. 9 and ordered deputies to use reasonable force to bring Roberts to court.
Roberts, 30, and Sebastian Parra, 24, face charges including murder and attempted robbery in the 2022 shooting death of Benny Alcala Jr., 43, who had been charging an electric vehicle near the Target on Stockdale Highway.
Their trial is scheduled for Feb. 13 but will likely be postponed. Timothy Hennessy, the attorney representing Parra, is currently in trial in federal court.
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On Thursday, Roberts, against the advice of Deputy Public Defender Gordon Lake, addressed another judge, complaining about media coverage and whether he’ll receive a fair trial.
“I have trial coming up soon and this is my life I’m fighting for,” he said.
Roberts was charged in early September 2022. Parra served as the prosecution’s key witness during his preliminary hearing.
Parra testified Roberts targeted Alcala, 43, believing the counselor had money because he was charging an electric vehicle.
Parra said he had nothing to do with the killing and had only met Roberts that night. A grand jury indicted Parra in December 2022.
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