by Cindy Summers
Police reports are provided to us by the Ventura Police Department and are not the opinions of the Ventura Breeze. All suspects mentioned are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Crime Spree with Attempted Armed Robbery Arrest
On May 24, at approximately 12:30am, the Ventura Police Department received a call of a theft of a large amount of alcohol from the CVS store at 5900 Telegraph Rd. The suspect reportedly left in a vehicle. As officers were responding to that call, a second 9-1-1 caller reported a woman screaming from a vehicle in the McDonald’s drive-thru in the same shopping center. Officers arrived and contacted that female, who said that a man had run up to her open driver’s window at the drive-thru, leaned in, produced a knife, and demanded her money. A witness rode up on a bicycle and the suspect was distracted, allowing the victim to escape by rapidly driving away. A witness saw the same suspect shatter the window of a nearby parked vehicle just prior to approaching the female at the drive-thru. Video surveillance footage captured images of the suspect.
Officers canvassed the area and located the suspect, who was identified as 19 year old Ventura resident Xavier Servin, in the 5600 block of Telephone Rd. Servin was in possession of the property that had been stolen from CVS, as well as the knife used in the robbery. Servin resisted arrest and sustained a minor injury. He is being treated at VCMC for his injury and will be booked at the Ventura County Jail for Attempted Robbery, Shoplifting, and Resisting Arrest.
The investigation into these crimes is on-going. Please call 805-650-8010 if you have any further information.
Residential Burglary / Possession of a Firearm & Dagger
On May 28, at approximately 12:45am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a 911 call reference a residential burglary that was in progress. The victim said the suspect was currently hiding in her garage. While officers were responding the victim reported that her husband was speaking with the suspect outside the garage and was attempting to detain him.
Officers arrived and were told the suspect had just fled on foot down the street. Officers began to attempt to locate the suspect but were unsuccessful. Officers at the scene located a backpack that contained a .22 cal revolver handgun inside it with a bag full of .22 cal ammo.
K9 Rover and his handler were requested in order to start a hard surface track for the suspect. K9 Rover very quickly was on the track and headed westbound on Stanford St. K9 Rover led officers into a yard approximately 6 residences from the victim’s residence and began to alert on several bushes to the side of this residence. This area was very dark and officers could not see into the bushes even with their flashlights. K9 Rover’s handler began to yell out to the suspect and the suspect, 37 year old Ventura resident Steven Bohannan, slowly crawled out from under the bushes.
Bohannan was taken into custody without incident. During the search of Bohannan he was found to be in possession of a dagger that was concealed on his person.
Vandalism Arrests
On May 29, at approximately 5pm, two officers were on patrol in the area of Ventura Blvd. and Victoria Ave., when a citizen stopped them and reported seeing two subjects in the process of vandalizing an electrical box near the intersection of Ventura Blvd. and Seahawk St. The officers responded to that location and saw the two subjects, later identified as 26 year old Ventura resident Jorge Magallanes and 25 year old Ventura resident Ernesto Orozco, still tagging the electrical box. Officers detained them both and determined both were conspiring to commit the act of vandalism.
During the investigation, officers determined Magallanes and Orozco were vandalizing for the benefit of a gang.
Both were arrested and booked into the Ventura County Jail for conspiracy, vandalism and a gang enhancement. Orozco was also arrested for several outstanding warrants.
The public can report damage from graffiti by leaving a message on the City of Ventura’s Graffiti Removal Hotline number at 654-7805.
Felony Child Endangerment
On May 30, at 1:30pm, officers responded to the Ventura County Medical Center reference a call of an infant child testing positive for amphetamines. The 1-year-old child had been brought to the hospital by his father, after the father suspected the child had ingested water from his mother’s illegal smoking device. The smoking device was left in the reach of the child and when the father found the child acting strange, he concluded the child had gained access to the smoking device.
At the time the child ingested the water, he was in the care of his mother, later identified as 29 year old Ventura resident Ashley Cargnino. Officers later conducted a follow up at the residence and arrested Cargnino. She was booked into the Ventura County Jail for felony child endangerment.
The child was transported to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. At this time, the condition of the child is not known.
Attempt Commercial Burglary Arrest
On May 31, at approximately 4:15am, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call of a burglary in progress at Roger’s Pharmacy on Loma Vista Rd. As the suspects were attempting to gain entry into the business with the use of a pry bar the alarm sounded and the suspects fled in a vehicle. The reporting party reported to the Command Center the description of the vehicle.
Officers responding to the call observed the vehicle and began to follow it as the front passenger discarded gloves and masks out of the window. The vehicle was stopped and the two occupants were detained.
The resulting investigation determined that the two suspects were attempting to pry open the window to the business to gain access to the pharmaceuticals when they were interrupted by the sounding alarm.
The suspects, 40 year old Signal Hill resident Thomas Dedmon and 20 year old Palmdale resident Jeffrey Phillips, were taken into custody without incident and booked into the Ventura County jail for attempted burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary.
Possession for sales & felon in possession of tear gas arrest
On May 31, at 7:30am, Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit Detectives concluded an investigation into the sales of methamphetamine by a suspect identified as 47 year old Ventura resident Scott Hughey in the 8600 block of Tahoe Drive.
This morning VPD detectives served a search warrant at Hughey’s residence. During the search warrant detectives located over an ounce of methamphetamine and other items of evidence indicating Hughey was actively involved in the sales of methamphetamine. All of this was found in the garage area where Hughey was living. Detectives searched Hughey’s truck and found a canister of tear gas. Due to Hughey being a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing tear gas.
Hughey was later transported to the Ventura County Main Jail where he was booked on felony possession for sales of narcotics and the misdemeanor charge of convicted felon in possession of tear gas.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this crime can contact the Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit Narc Hotline at (805) 339-4331.
Suicidal Subject
On May 31, at approximately 6pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a 911 call from a caller reporting a subject sitting on the railing of the overpass on Vista Del Mar Rd. at Seaward Ave. The caller said that the subject, later identified as a 19-year-old female, appeared as though she was preparing to jump. Officers arrived on scene and found the subject still sitting on the railing, approximately 30-35 feet above the roadway and passing vehicles. Officers immediately made verbal contact with the subject and began attempts to negotiate with her, while additional officers closed Seaward Ave. in both directions to vehicle traffic. At first, the subject was uncooperative with officers and refused to speak to them.
Officers, who are trained in crisis intervention, continued attempts to negotiate with the subject for approximately 2 hours. Several times while officers were speaking to the subject, she would move from sitting on the railing to actually climbing onto the outside of the ledge and making movements as she was preparing to jump.
The subject finally started to verbalize with officers, and ultimately agreed to climb off the railing. Once she was safely away from the ledge, officers detained the subject. She was later transported to Ventura County Mental Health for an evaluation.
Members of the Ventura County Behavioral Health Crisis Team also responded to assist in negotiations.
All of the roadways were reopened after the incident.