Cameron Childers, a 26-year-old Texas man, was arrested in Kern County on multiple felony abduction- and rape-related charges after reportedly driving his vehicle off a cliff with an at-risk 17-year-old Yuba City girl inside. The dramatic conclusion to a multi-county pursuit took place on September 27, when both Childers and the juvenile were rescued from the fiery crash, sustaining moderate, non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident began when Yuba City police officers responded to White Rock Drive at approximately 8:35 a.m. on September 27, following reports of a missing 17-year-old girl. Due to her age, an underlying medical condition, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, police considered the juvenile missing and at-risk. Authorities also learned she had been communicating with Childers, a Texas resident who had recently traveled to Yuba City.
Investigators quickly discovered that Childers had pending criminal charges in his home state involving child sexual abuse material. To locate Childers and the juvenile, detectives utilized Flock Safety camera technology, which played a significant role in tracking Childers’ vehicle from the Yuba City area to the Bakersfield area.
According to a statement from Yuba City police, when officers attempted to stop Childers, he fled, initiating a vehicle pursuit through the Kern River Canyon toward the Lake Isabella area. During the pursuit, the California Highway Patrol deployed spike strips. However, Childers continued fleeing and ultimately drove the vehicle off a cliff.
Yuba City officers obtained a $100,000 Ramey Warrant for Childers. He was taken into custody in the Bakersfield area and booked into the Kern County Jail. The warrant included a range of alleged offenses: child abduction; aiding or encouraging suicide; contacting a minor with intent to commit a specified offense; contributing to the delinquency of a minor; rape by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear; rape of a person prevented from resisting due to an intoxicating, anesthetic, or controlled substance; and kidnapping to commit another specified offense. Childers faces these charges along with additional charges stemming from the pursuit and events that occurred in Kern County.
Because the investigation involved alleged criminal conduct in both Yuba City and Kern County, Yuba City detectives coordinated with the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation has been submitted to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution of the related offenses.