Residential Burglary
On Friday March 4th, at 1:28 p.m., an off-duty Ventura County District Attorney’s Investigator was in the area of the 4900 block of Lafayette Street when he saw suspicious activity near a home. He watched as the four suspects walked on to the residence’s property. Two of them remained outside of the house and acted as look-outs, while the other two went into the backyard and entered the house through a rear window. As the burglary occurred, the off duty investigator called our Communications Center and Patrol officers were dispatched. Two of the suspects fled from officers onto the 126 freeway, but they were located by the responding officers. The other two suspects also attempted to run away from officers, however they were located and detained by the off-duty investigator and other officers. At the conclusion of the investigation, the two adult suspects, Miguel Ochoa and Gordon Nico, were booked into VC Jail. The two juvenile suspects were lodged at juvenile hall.
Burglary
On Saturday, March 5th, at 7:29 a.m., a nearby business owner was arriving at his business in the 6300 block of Ventura Boulevard, when he saw suspicious activity near a recreational vehicle in a neighboring business parking lot. He watched as the suspect walked away from the vehicle carrying property. The witness called the VPD. The suspect, later identified as Frank Lawrence, and an associate were located by the responding officers. They were detained. At the conclusion of the investigation, Lawrence was booked into VC Jail. Lawrence was also in possession of a dangerous weapon, a throwing star.
Shooting
On June 23rd, 2015, at 3:36 p.m., the VPD received numerous calls of a shooting that had occurred in the 400 Block of West Ramona Street. Officers, along with Ventura City Fire and AMR personnel, responded to the call and found a 9-year-old female victim suffering from a non-life threatening grazing wound to her leg. She was transported to VCMC for treatment of her injury. While officers were on scene, the VPD received a second call reporting a shooting victim in the 300 Block of West Park Row. The adult male victim was found to be suffering from a non-life threatening injury.
The VPD identified Mauricio Chavez as a suspect in this crime. On July 1st, 2015, VP Detectives served a search warrant at the residence of Chavez. Chavez was arrested at that time for possessing a billy club and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. These charges were unrelated to the shooting investigation.
Detectives continued with the shooting investigation and on July 24th, 2015, Chavez was contacted at VC Jail and arrested for his involvement in the shooting and booked for attempt murder and street terrorism.
On Thursday, March 10th, Chavez was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
