Battery and Attempted Robbery Arrest
Ventura Police Report #: 24-55202
On 8/22/23 at about 7:26 pm, the suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Gabriel Lomeli, a Santa Paula resident, approached a victim who was walking in the breezeway between the Crowne Plaza and the Harbor Parking Structure.
Lomeli asked to use the victim’s cell phone, and when the victim refused and turned to walk away, Lomeli punched him several times in the head and face before walking up to an additional victim. This victim was seated in the breezeway with his cell phone in his hand. Lomeli demanded to use his phone, but the second victim refused. Lomeli attempted to take the phone by force but could not do so. Lomeli did pull the victim to the ground, but the victim was able to fight him off, and Lomeli let go of the phone and ran away. At the same time Lomeli was struggling with the second victim, a witness called 911.
Officers arrived in under five minutes, but Lomeli had already fled. Both victims were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Based on the victims’ and witnesses’ statements, officers searched for Lomeli and located him in the area. He was identified as the suspect who had battered the first victim and attempted to rob the second. Lomeli was arrested and transported to the Ventura County Jail, where he was booked for Battery and Attempted Robbery.
If you have any information about this crime, you can make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at VenturaCountyCrimeStoppers.org. If your information leads to an arrest, you could receive a cash reward of up to $1,000.
