BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A twice-convicted home invasion robber was granted parole on Tuesday, a decision that Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer strongly opposes. The California Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) determined that Vicente Guizar-Figueroa, 29, no longer poses a current and unreasonable risk to public safety.
Guizar-Figueroa’s criminal history includes a violent home invasion in Bakersfield on June 6, 2011. Prosecutors said armed with guns, he and his brother entered the home of a local jewelry store owner, holding the family at gunpoint and threatening to shoot their dog. The business owner was forced to drive the brothers to his business while a third accomplice held his family hostage. Police apprehended Guizar-Figueroa as he attempted to run.
The DA said Guizar-Figueroa watched the victim for six days to plan the crime, including going to the jewelry store for follow-up. In 2014, Guizar-Figueroa pleaded no contest to multiple felony charges, including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and was sentenced to 29 years and 8 months in prison. However, due to his age at the time of the crime, he was eligible for a youthful offender’s parole hearing. Guizar-Figueroa’s brother, Humberto, is currently an inmate at the CDCR for his role in the home invasion robbery. A third suspect was never found…