McFarland Police Offer $10,000 Reward After Shooting Kills Agustin Mata Rodriguez

Coroner identifies the victim as Agustin Mata Rodriguez

MCFARLAND, Calif. — The Kern County Coroner's Office has identified the person killed in a late-night McFarland shooting as 18-year-old Agustin Mata Rodriguez of Richgrove, according to an updated police account reported Tuesday by BakersfieldNow.

McFarland police said officers responded at approximately 11:10 p.m. Saturday, September 5, and found Rodriguez in the middle of the roadway in the 300 block of 8th Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police now say the shooting occurred in the alley between the 300 blocks of 7th and 8th streets. That more precise location is a material change from the initial public account, which described where Rodriguez was found but did not identify the alleged shooting location.

Newest police account resolves the earlier date conflict

Initial local reports conflicted over whether the shooting occurred Friday, September 4, or Saturday, September 5. The newest report, again attributing the information to McFarland police, identifies Saturday, September 5, as the incident date.

What’s the Scoop With Broach is therefore using September 5 as the corrected date while preserving the earlier discrepancy in this update record. The reported time remains approximately 11:10 p.m.

Corrections in an active investigation should be tied to the newest attributable agency information. Quietly retaining an older conflicting date after police clarify the timeline would leave readers with a false uncertainty.

$10,000 reward offered as police seek witnesses

McFarland police are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest or arrests of the person or people responsible for Rodriguez's death. The available report does not publish a deadline, claim procedure, funding source or rules for dividing the reward among multiple eligible tipsters.

Investigators said a party believed to have been attended by more than 50 people was underway in the 300 block of 7th Street at the time of the shooting. Police believe several people may have witnessed the shooting or possess useful information but have not yet come forward.

The existence of a nearby party does not make every attendee a witness or suspect. People should not circulate names, photographs or accusations based only on attendance. Investigators need firsthand observations and original evidence, not rumor amplified through social media.

No suspect, arrest or motive has been announced

Police have not announced a suspect description, arrest, motive or weapon recovery. Investigators are examining whether the shooting has a gang connection, but no such connection has been established publicly.

McFarland police also said they do not know whether Rodriguez's death was connected to or retaliation for a fatal shooting at a laundromat roughly two weeks earlier. That possibility remains an investigative question—not a confirmed link.

A police investigation and reward establish that authorities are seeking evidence. They do not prove an accusation against any particular person. If someone is arrested or charged later, that person will remain presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove guilt in court.

How to provide information

McFarland police ask anyone with information to call 661-792-2121. The City of McFarland's official website lists the same non-emergency number and directs people facing an immediate emergency to call 911.

Witnesses should preserve original photographs, video, messages and exact times and provide them directly to investigators. Files should remain unedited so investigators can evaluate timestamps and metadata.

The next material developments would include verified reward terms, a suspect description supported by police, an arrest, a charging decision or evidence establishing whether this shooting is connected to another case.

About the image

The accompanying image is an authentic locator map showing McFarland within Kern County. It was created from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER geographic data and does not mark the 300 block of 8th Street, show the shooting scene or depict anyone involved.

DemocraticLuntz released the map under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license through Wikimedia Commons. It is used solely to establish geographic context and does not imply endorsement by the creator, the Census Bureau or Wikimedia Commons.