BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A 62-year-old convicted sex offender and third striker was denied release by the California Board of Parole Hearings, citing an ongoing risk to public safety, announced the Kern County District Attorney, Cynthia Zimmer.
On July 8, 2025, the board determined that Ronald Ricks, 62, continues to pose a “current and unreasonable risk” to society.
Ricks was previously on parole after serving a 19-year prison sentence for forcible rape and forcible oral copulation at knifepoint. His criminal history includes a high-speed chase on May 14, 1999, when he was seen speeding on Highway 178. The pursuit, which reached speeds over 100 miles per hour on the highway into downtown Bakersfield, at 70 to 80 miles per hour, ended with Ricks fleeing on foot after his vehicle became disabled…