Shooting
On Monday, October 26th, at 11:30 p.m., the VPD received a call of a shooting inside a residence in the 2000 block of Koala Way.
Officers located the victim inside and suffering from a single gunshot wound to her abdomen. Officers searched the residence and located a male subject, James Lotspeich, in the rear yard who was suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Both subjects were treated on-scene by Fire Department and AMR and then transported to a local hospital. They are both in critical condition.
VPD Major Crime detectives were called out to the scene and are conducting an active investigation. This incident appears to be a result of a domestic disturbance.
Residential Burglary
On Wednesday, October 28th, at 7:55 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residential burglary in progress at 87 North Chestnut. The victim’s neighbor arrived home and noticed Brian Baldwin inside of the residence. The neighbor attempted to make contact with Baldwin through a window. Baldwin threatened to kill the neighbor and retreated back into the house. The neighbor immediately contacted VPD dispatch.
Officers made contact with Baldwin inside of the house and he was taken into custody without incident.
The investigation revealed that Baldwin entered the home through an open window, took several items from the residence and loaded them into the bed of a truck nearby. Baldwin then returned to the residence to get more property when officers arrived.
Baldwin was booked at the VC Jail.
Sexual Battery
On Saturday, October 31st, at 9:33 a.m., the VPD received a call of a sexual battery that had just occurred inside of the Target store at 4200 East Main Street. The suspect reportedly made sexual comments and gestures to several female patrons inside the store. He then approached a female employee and grabbed her buttocks. He was confronted by a male patron and then left the store and walked out of the area.
Officers located Aaron Carter, matching the suspect description, a few blocks away. Carter was identified as the suspect and was taken into custody without incident. Carter was booked at the VC Jail.
Criminal Threats
On Monday, November 2nd, at 5:12 a.m., the VPD received call from a resident in the 300 Block of Kern Street. The victim indicated that her adult son, Jorge Zamora, had threatened to kill her with a Samurai sword. Officers were able to safely remove the victim and her other son from the residence. Zamora then barricaded himself in his bedroom and refused to come out. His mother indicated that there were Samurai swords in the bedroom with Zamora.
After several minutes of attempting to contact Zamora, officers entered the residence and found Zamora in his bedroom. Zamora refused all instructions of the officers and was ultimately taken into custody with the use of a Taser. Zamora was found to be extremely combative and under influence of methamphetamine. There were swords in the bedroom with Zamora, however he did not attempt to use them against the officers.
Zamora was booked at the VC Jail.
Resisting Arrest
On Sunday, November 1st, at 1:20 a.m., several officers were on foot in the downtown area when they were hailed by Dargan’s security guards regarding a combative male, later identified as Benjamin Sevier, who was fighting them and refusing to leave the bar, located at 593 East Main Street. As security staff struggled to escort Sevier outside, he continued to physically fight with staff, until officers intervened and attempted to take Sevier into custody.
Officers gave Sevier several commands and ample time to stop fighting and submit to arrest; however, Sevier refused and attempted to punch one of the security guards in the face and started violently kicking at the officers. A Taser device was used, which Sevier attempted to take from the officer. The officer was able to maintain control of the Taser, which, when deployed, did not have an effect on Sevier. Officers had to use physical force to take Sevier into custody.
After being cleared at VCMC for minor injuries he sustained during the arrest, Sevier was booked into the VC Jail.
Possession of a Stolen Vehicle
On Saturday, October 31st, at 11:38 p.m., a patrol officer observed a suspicious vehicle in the area of Victoria and Valentine Road. As the officer initiated a U-turn to investigate further, the vehicle in question made some evasive driving maneuvers. The officer located the vehicle in the 5500 block of Walker Street and initiated a traffic enforcement stop referencing a vehicle code violation. The driver continued to drive for a half mile and yielded on Ralston Street.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle in question was an unreported stolen vehicle out of Oxnard. The driver, later identified as Jacob Steir, was taken into custody without incident. Steir also had an outstanding no bail felony warrant. Steir was later booked into VC Jail.
