Suspect description and tip contacts
Police described the suspect as a medium-built man carrying a backpack and a bag. His clothing included a baseball hat, shorts, a light-colored sweater, black gloves and long black socks. He wore mismatched shoes: one black and one white.
Police ask anyone who knows about the burglary or can help identify the suspect to call Detective C. Perkins at 661-326-3947 or the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111.
The property's Basque roots
The Noriega House's official history traces the 4,400-square-foot Queen Anne cottage to 1900, when Basque immigrant Faustino Mier Noriega and his wife, Louisa, built it for $1,286.10. The couple raised five children in the home.
The family maintained nearly an acre around the house, using the property primarily to help Basque immigrants arriving in Kern County. Additional homes on the grounds housed extended family members or served as rentals.
Restoration and conversion to an event venue
Jerry Randall, then president of the Old Town Kern Association, and his family purchased the house in 1997. According to the venue's history, restoring it as a private residence was not economically feasible, so they converted it to a commercial event venue to preserve the building. The restoration lasted almost two years.
The Tackitt family purchased the property from the Randalls in 2007 and continued the upgrades, including interior furnishings and a signature black-and-white outdoor dance floor.
Today, the venue accommodates up to 300 guests, according to its official About page. It hosts weddings and receptions, corporate events, bridal showers, holiday parties, graduations and birthday celebrations.
