Burglary and Vehicle Tampering Arrest
On Sept. 16, at 10:44am, a City of Ventura Employee was in their city vehicle when the suspect, Jonathan Martinez opened their vehicle door and claimed to be a city worker. Martinez was wearing a fluorescent City of Ventura work vest and the city employee did not recognize Martinez as a coworker.
Officers arrived and located Martinez in the back parking lot of City Hall. Martinez was found wearing a city work vest and in possession of a large ring of keys. Martinez is on active parole and his parole agent was contacted. Martinez was arrested for vehicle tampering and a parole violation.
A few hours later, a city worker located a broken window to a supply closet at City Hall. Officers were able to verify that the property Martinez was found in possession of at the time of his arrest, was taken from the supply closet. The interior supply closet door was locked and prevented Martinez from accessing any additional rooms inside City Hall. Martinez was arrested for the burglary and booked at the Ventura County Jail.
Negligent Discharge of a Firearm and Vehicle Pursuit
On Sept.16, at 1:29pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received several 911 calls reporting a large fight with approximately 100 people at the intersection of Main St. and Oak Street. As officers were responding, an additional caller saw a Hispanic male with a bandana covering his face had a handgun tucked in his waistband. The caller reported the Hispanic male with the gun was seen entering a silver Toyota sedan that was now driving southbound out of the area.
While officer were searching the area, an officer reported hearing a single gunshot around Palm St. and Santa Clara Street. Officers saw a silver sedan fleeing the area on Thompson Blvd. and believed the vehicle to be involved.
Ventura PD Officers were alerted to a vehicle crash around Channel Islands Blvd. and Harbor Blvd. in the City of Oxnard. We responded to that area and the vehicle involved in the collision was the same vehicle that fled from our officers. Ventura PD assisted Oxnard PD with a search of the driver and occupants that fled from the vehicle. Ventura Police K9 Deco began a track from the vehicle. Jose Manuel Herrera (37 yrs.) Oxnard resident was arrested.
Possession of a Firearm Arrest
On Sept.17, at 8am, officers were dispatched to the 200 block of W. Harrison Ave. for several subjects trespassing and intimidating a resident in the area. Officers could not locate the suspects and the caller was reluctant to identify the suspects involved.
While investigating this crime, officers spoke with several intoxicated males in the front yard to a nearby house. These same individuals were contacted by VPD officers at 0139 hours after a report of a large fight in the street and reports of several gunshots being heard at the intersection of Harrison Ave. and Olive Street.
Officers advised the drunk males to stay in their home due to their level of intoxication. Minutes later, officers saw Edwin Castro stumbling down Olive St. with Josue Garcia and detained Castro for being drunk in public. While the arresting officer was searching Castro, he located an unloaded handgun in his pocket.
During the arrest of Castro, Garcia interfered with the arrest and was quickly subdued by the arresting officers. No one was injured during the arrest.
Castro was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm and drunk in public. Garcia was arrested for interfering with an arrest. Both were booked at the Ventura County Jail.
