Protester who threatened city council is out of jail
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A pro-Palestinian protester charged with threatening to murder Bakersfield City Council members is out of jail.
On Tuesday, Riddhi Patel’s bail was reduced to $500,000 and she was not listed in custody later that evening.
During a court hearing Tuesday morning, Patel, 28, was ordered to turn in her passport, not leave the state and be placed on GPS monitoring upon her release.
Judge David Wolf questioned if Patel made her comments in the heat of the moment rather than rationally thinking them through. Still, he found them “disappointing and disturbing.”
“You can’t when you’re not getting what you want threaten to kill people,” Wolf said.
Patel had previously been held on $1 million bail. She’s due back in court next week.
Prosecutor Ken Russell asked for no bail, saying he believes Patel poses an “extreme threat” to public safety, especially considering the targets of her comments.
Her attorney, Deputy Public Defender Jacob Evans, argued for the reduction. He said Patel would agree to probation terms imposed by the court.
In reducing bail, Wolf noted Patel has no prior criminal record and didn’t appear to own any firearms.
Patel was arrested April 10 after telling the council during public comment, “We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you.”
Patel, one of several people to demand the council pass a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, was railing against recent security measures put in place for city council meetings when she made the comment.
Earlier, she told council members she hopes someone brings back the guillotine “and kills all you m————.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted previous meetings over the council not passing a ceasefire resolution. Several are facing charges, among them a woman accused of breaking a glass door at city hall, causing an estimated $2,000 in damage, and a woman accused of spitting on an officer.
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