Leana Margarita Perez, 23, a Hispanic / Latina woman from Bakersfield, California, was shot in the early morning darkness of July 12, 2025, at Heritage Park on Bernard Street near Mount Vernon Avenue. Officers responding around 1:25 a.m. found the wounded 23-year-old and rushed her to Kern Medical, where she was pronounced dead. Coroner’s officials later identified the victim as Leana Margarita Perez, 23, of Bakersfield, fixing the scene and hour of violence that tore through the quiet of the
east side park.
Detectives traced the gunfire to a teenager present in the park that night. Within days, Bakersfield police announced the arrest of a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of committing the homicide, saying their investigation placed him at the scene and alleging he carried out the killing that claimed the life of Leana Margarita Perez, 23. The department urged anyone with information to come forward as the community absorbed news that such a young suspect had been taken into custody.
As the case moved into juvenile court, authorities publicly named the teen as Anthony Lopez. In late August 2025, prosecutors said the 15-year-old admitted all counts against him, including involuntary manslaughter and an enhancement for use of a gun in the death of Leana Margarita Perez, 23, at Heritage Park. The admission marked a swift turn from arrest to accountability, and it affirmed investigators’ early conclusion about who pulled the trigger that morning.
By September 2025, a judge ordered the youth committed to the Apex Academy youth facility for at least three years, a disposition reflecting his age and the penalties available in juvenile proceedings. The outcome closed the courtroom chapter of a killing documented in local homicide records and memorial pages that now carry the name of Leana Margarita Perez, 23, alongside the date and place where her life was cut short.
