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.
Recovered Stolen Vehicle Arrests
On May 4, at approximately 6:30am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call of a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the Poinsettia Pavilion in the 3400 block of Foothill Rd. The caller reported seeing 3 males loitering near a vehicle and one of them was removing a license plate.
While officers were still responding to the call, a resident in the 6900 Swan St. called dispatch and reported that she just discovered her vehicle had been stolen sometime during the night. The vehicle in the suspicious vehicle call matched that of the stolen vehicle. When officers arrived on scene at the Poinsettia Pavilion, the vehicle was no longer in the parking lot.
Officers contacted the victim and learned she had the ability to track her vehicle, which was last shown to be in the area of Telephone Rd. and Ramelli Ave. Officers responded to that area and saw the vehicle pulling into an apartment complex in the 6500 Telephone Rd.
Before officers were able to initiate a traffic stop, the 17-year-old male driver stopped the vehicle and fled on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, the juvenile was taken into custody. He was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and conspiracy.
The passenger, 19-year-old Oxnard resident Samuel Carranza, was quickly taken into custody. He was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and conspiracy.
On the same date, at approximately 4am, home surveillance video from residences in the area of Swan St., showed several subjects casing unlocked vehicles at the time the victim’s vehicle was stolen. The male juvenile was found to be in possession of property taken from one of those vehicles.
Threats and Brandishing a Knife in a Threatening Manner
On May 13, at approximately 9pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a 911 call of a brandishing that just occurred outside of Starbucks in the 1900 block of S. Victoria Ave. The victim was stopped in his vehicle waiting to exit the Starbucks parking lot, when the suspect approached his driver’s window, which was closed.
The suspect, later identified as 38-year-old vagrant Kent Carter, walked up to the victim’s vehicle and stated he was going to harm the victim. The victim did not hear him at first, so he rolled down the window to see if Carter needed something. It was at that time Carter pulled a knife out of his pocket and while making a cutting motion across his neck, he again made a threat that he was going to harm the victim. The victim sped away and immediately called 911.
Several officers responded to the call and located Carter a short distance away inside of Trader Joe’s on Victoria Ave. Officers waited for Carter to exit the store, at which time he was taken into custody without incident. After being positively identified, Carter was arrested for making threats and brandishing a knife in a threatening manner.
Assault with a Firearm, Shooting at an Occupied Vehicle, Child Endangerment
On May 16, at approximately 8am, Ventura Police patrol officers responded to a call of a shooting that had occurred in the area of the 1200 block of Nilgai Pl.
Officers located the victims who described the incident. According to the victims, the suspect, 29-year-old Ventura resident Seeb Hurtado, knocked at their residence’s front door inquiring about a vehicle. The occupants did not have any information on the vehicle and the suspect left.
The victims entered their vehicle to leave for the morning and saw the suspect in the area again. The adult female was concerned about the male’s continued presence in the area around her home. In response she drove around the area several times. When the suspect saw her and her juvenile daughter, he seemed fixated on them and their vehicle.
When the mother was driving away from the area, the suspect produced a handgun and fired it at their vehicle from a short distance away. The mother fled while calling 911. Neither victim nor the vehicle was struck by the gunfire.
Responding officers observed a subject matching the suspect’s description. When the officer went to contact the subject, he fled into a nearby barranca. The officer caught up to the suspect and detained him at gunpoint. Additional officers arrived and took the suspect into custody without incident.
Officers canvassing for a crime scene located evidence of a shooting right where the victims indicated. The suspect was identified by the victims as the shooter and he was arrested.
Detectives obtained a search warrant and the nearby residence of the suspect was searched. Further evidence of the crime and the suspect’s involvement was located.
The suspect was booked into Ventura County Jail for Assault with a firearm, Shooting at an Occupied Vehicle, and Felony Child Endangerment.
Serious Injury Hit and Run Investigation
On May 16, at approximately 11pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a call of a hit and run collision that had occurred on Thompson Bl west of Kalorama St. Officers arrived on scene and located an unresponsive female in the roadway being tended to by citizens.
The investigation revealed that the female pedestrian was crossing the roadway northbound on Thompson Bl midblock. A vehicle traveling westbound struck the pedestrian in the roadway and fled the scene without checking on the condition of the pedestrian. Identifiable parts of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian were located at the location of the collision.
The pedestrian was treated by the Ventura City Fire Department and transported to Ventura County Medical Center where she remains in critical condition and is not expected to survive. This is an ongoing investigation and anyone who has information about this collision is asked to contact Officer Bevan at 805- 339-4447.
Fatal Traffic Collision
On May 17, at approximately 1:30am, the Ventura Police Command Center received a call of an injury traffic collision that just occurred on Telegraph Rd at Claremont Way.
Officers arrived on scene and located a vehicle that collided into a traffic signal pole with five occupants.
The investigation revealed that the driver was travelling eastbound on Telegraph Rd at a high rate of speed before leaving the roadway and colliding into the traffic signal pole. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. Alcohol was a contributing factor in the collision.
The five occupants, all from Fillmore, were treated on scene by the Ventura City Fire Department. The front passenger (15 year old male) had succumbed to his injuries on scene. The other four occupants were transported to the Ventura County Medical Center. The driver was in critical condition (21 year old male) and the three additional passengers (15 year old males) were in serious condition.
This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information about this collision is asked to call Corporal Gomez at 805-339-4474
