Hector Manuel Prado Jr., 40, a Hispanic/Latino man, was found dead in a harvested field near the intersection of West Lerdo Highway and Wildwood Road in Wasco on the evening of October 23, 2025. He was discovered about 5:30 p.m.; an autopsy determined the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The Kern County Coroner publicly identified him days later, confirming the basic facts of the case.

Local reporting and a community memorial listing recorded Prado’s death on October 23, 2025, but did not include information about arrests, identified suspects, or further investigative details at the time of identification. If anyone has information about Prado, his movements that day, or witnessed activity near West Lerdo Highway and Wildwood Road that evening, please share it with the local authorities.