Relatives reportedly described an exhausted Samuel Magdaleno arriving after the shooting and saying he had fired at Adrian Anthony Montiel.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Statements that Samuel Magdaleno’s relatives gave investigators after Adrian Anthony Montiel was fatally shot could become some of the most closely examined evidence when Magdaleno goes on trial Sept. 14 on first-degree murder and burglary charges.
Family members reportedly told investigators that Magdaleno arrived at their home sweating heavily, breathing hard and acting unlike himself after the Aug. 15, 2025, shooting. According to court-record details published by KGET and Law&Crime, he said he had been in a confrontation with Montiel and had shot at him. Relatives also said Magdaleno told them he threw a rifle near a bridge and then left after hearing sirens. Magdaleno, 38, has pleaded not guilty, and none of the reported statements has yet been evaluated by a trial jury.
The relatives’ account begins after deputies had been called twice to the Edison Highway area. The first call concerned an argument involving Magdaleno, Montiel and one of Montiel’s neighbors. Authorities allege Magdaleno suspected Montiel of having a relationship with his girlfriend and warned during the dispute that he would return and shoot Montiel if the suspicion proved true. Approximately two hours later, shortly before midnight, the Sheriff’s Office received another call reporting that a man had been shot in the 2900 block of Edison Highway.
Deputies found Montiel, 38, with a gunshot wound to his right side. He was transported to Kern Medical and died at approximately 12:21 a.m. Aug. 16, according to a report citing the Kern County Coroner’s Office. Investigators allege Magdaleno returned after the earlier dispute with a rifle, shot Montiel and left before deputies arrived. Prosecutors have charged the case as first-degree murder, signaling that they intend to prove more than an unplanned or accidental killing.
The alleged threat from the earlier argument may provide one part of that theory. The reported family statements may provide another by offering investigators an account of Magdaleno’s words and behavior soon after the gunfire. Prosecutors often use a combination of direct and circumstantial evidence to build a chronology, but each item must be admitted under court rules before jurors may consider it. The defense can challenge whether the testimony is accurate, whether it has been taken out of context and whether it supports the conclusions prosecutors draw from it.
A family member’s recollection is not automatically conclusive merely because the person knows the defendant. Jurors may be asked to consider when the statement was given, how the questioning occurred, whether multiple relatives independently reported similar details and whether their accounts changed over time. They may also hear about the conditions under which the remarks were allegedly made. A person described as frightened, exhausted or speaking quickly may be remembered differently by different listeners, making the exact wording and context significant.
The reports quote a court record as saying Magdaleno told relatives that he had “got into it” with Montiel and “shot at him.” That phrase does not appear in the available reporting as a recorded interview with Magdaleno. Instead, it is presented as information family members later relayed to investigators. At trial, prosecutors would need to establish the source of the wording and the circumstances in which it was heard. The defense would have an opportunity to question the witnesses and test their memories before the jury.
The account of a discarded rifle raises a separate evidence issue. Published reports say Magdaleno allegedly told relatives he tossed the weapon near a bridge, but they do not state whether investigators found it. They also do not identify the type of rifle beyond the general description, disclose whether ammunition or cartridge casings were recovered, or report any ballistics comparison. Without those details, it is not possible to determine from public reporting whether prosecutors possess a firearm they believe was used in the killing.
If a weapon was recovered, the prosecution would generally need witnesses and records showing where it was found, who handled it and how any testing was conducted. If no weapon was found, prosecutors could still seek to prove a shooting through witness testimony, medical findings, physical evidence from the scene and other circumstances. The absence of publicly disclosed information should not be treated as proof that evidence exists or does not exist. It shows only that the available reports do not answer the question.
The reported decision to leave the family home after sirens became audible also could be presented in different ways. Prosecutors may argue that leaving, changing clothing or taking items such as a hat and sweatshirt reflected an effort to avoid detection. The defense may dispute that interpretation or contend that the account does not reliably establish when, why or under what conditions Magdaleno departed. Conduct after an alleged crime can be admitted in some circumstances, but jurors must decide what the conduct proves, if anything.
Authorities did not arrest Magdaleno immediately. He was taken into custody in October 2025, more than two months after Montiel died. The public reports do not say where the arrest occurred, whether Magdaleno surrendered, whether police found him through surveillance or tips, or whether he made a statement after his arrest. Those missing facts may be addressed through testimony or exhibits at trial, but they should not be supplied through speculation before then.
The first-degree burglary charge is another unresolved part of the publicly reported case. California burglary law concerns entry into specified structures or spaces with the intent to commit theft or another felony, and first-degree burglary generally involves an inhabited dwelling. However, the reports about Magdaleno do not describe the location or conduct underlying that count. They do not say whether prosecutors allege he entered Montiel’s residence, another dwelling or a different area. The charge is an accusation, and the state must prove its elements independently of the homicide count.
The suspected romantic relationship described as Magdaleno’s motive also remains an allegation about his belief, not a verified fact about Montiel. The reports say Magdaleno thought his girlfriend was involved with Montiel. They do not establish that such a relationship existed or provide a statement from the woman. At trial, prosecutors may try to explain why the earlier argument occurred, but they do not have to prove that Magdaleno’s suspicion was correct to argue that he acted because of it.
Montiel’s identity and time of death are among the details confirmed outside the account of the defendant’s alleged conduct. The coroner identified him as a 38-year-old Bakersfield resident who died at Kern Medical shortly after midnight. An obituary lists his life dates as Sept. 13, 1986, to Aug. 16, 2025, and remembers him as a loving father, son and friend. The obituary does not discuss the criminal case, and its purpose is to memorialize Montiel rather than describe the evidence surrounding his death.
Magdaleno remains in custody without bail, according to jail information cited by Law&Crime. His not-guilty plea means the prosecution carries the burden throughout the case. No jury has found that he made the alleged threat, fired the fatal shot, discarded a rifle or left to avoid police. Those claims must be supported by admissible evidence and proved to the legal standard required for a criminal conviction.
The Sept. 14 trial date sets the next major public stage of the case, though trial calendars can change. Pretrial hearings may determine which family statements, investigative records and physical items jurors will be permitted to hear or see. Until those proceedings occur, the available reporting provides a prosecution narrative but leaves open important questions about the weapon, the witnesses and the defense response.
Author note: Last updated July 18, 2026.