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.

Vehicle Pursuit and Arrest

On April 7, at approximately 5pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call of a subject that was possibly under the influence disturbing passersby on the Promenade near Paseo De Playa. As officers arrived on scene and attempted to make contact with the subject, later identified as 28 year old San Francisco resident Michael Dougherty, he ran from officers, got into a nearby parked vehicle and fled at a high rate of speed. A short time later, it was reported that the vehicle he was driving had possibly been stolen.

Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Dougherty, who was acting erratically and stopped several times in the middle of the road to yell at the officers. As Dougherty entered the Downtown area of Ventura and continued driving on several different streets, officers did not initiate a vehicle pursue because of the danger he posed to the public.

Dougherty ultimately entered Highway 101 northbound from Oak St., at which time officers initiated a vehicle pursuit. With officers pursuing him, Dougherty continued on Highway 101 at speeds ranging between 50-85 MPH. The California Highway Patrol was contacted to assist with the vehicle pursuit. As he was entering Santa Barbara County, Dougherty exited at Casitas Pass Rd. and entered back onto Highway 101 southbound towards Ventura. When he exited at the Main St. off-ramp into Ventura, the pursuit was terminated due to the continued danger Dougherty’s driving posed to the public. After terminating the vehicle pursuit, Dougherty entered back onto the Highway 101 northbound.

Approximately 10 minutes later, the California Highway Patrol started receiving 911 calls of a reckless driver on Highway 101 near Padre Juan Canyon Rd. overpass. One caller reported that Dougherty had stopped on the shoulder and fled on foot, across the highway. The California Highway Patrol and Ventura County Sheriff’s Department responded and started searching for him. He was seen a short time later near the Faria Beach Park and fled from CHP officers and deputies on foot. Dougherty entered a residence in the 4000 block of Pacific Coast Highway and taken into custody after being tased.

Officers from the Ventura Police Department responded and took custody of Dougherty. After he was medically cleared for minor injuries he sustained when running on foot, he was arrested for felony evading arrest in a vehicle, driving under the influence, and resisting arrest.

It was later determined the vehicle he was driving was taken from a relative who did not know Dougherty had taken it, therefore it was not stolen.

A review of the Ventura County Superior Court website shows that Dougherty plead guilty for the same charges in September of 2017, and was due to be back in court this month for additional court proceedings related to that conviction.

Stolen Vehicle Pursuit and Arrests

On April 15, at approximately 2pm, an officer was patrolling the area of Valentine Rd. and Sperry Ave., when he observed a suspicious vehicle and ran the license plate. The vehicle, which was occupied by several subjects, came back as a reported stolen vehicle out of Ventura. As the vehicle continued driving, the officer waited for additional officers to arrive before attempting to stop it. The driver, a 15-year-old male juvenile, failed to yield and a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit continued traveling on various streets in the industrial area between Market St. and Valentine Rd. and Sperry Ave., during which time the driver drove at speeds between 40-50 mph, and ran a stop sign and red light. As the vehicle was going northbound on Knoll Dr., officers deployed a spike strip in an attempt to disable the vehicle. The driver avoided hitting the spike strip and ran a stop sign. As the vehicle entered the intersection of Knoll Dr. and Valentine Rd., it collided into a vehicle that was traveling eastbound on Valentine Rd. The stolen vehicle sustained major damage from the collision and caught fire.

The 15-year-old driver and two juvenile passengers were detained at the vehicle, while two of the other passengers fled from the vehicle on foot and ran across both southbound and northbound lanes of Highway 101. Officers chased the two passengers, both 15-year-old male juveniles, and caught them on the other side of the highway after they jumped into a water culvert. The Ventura City Fire was called to help free them from the culvert.

The driver was arrested for felony evading arrest in a vehicle and driving a stolen vehicle. The two passengers who fled from the vehicle on foot were arrested for resisting arrest. The vehicle that was hit by the stolen vehicle sustained major damage. The two occupants of that vehicle were transported to VCMC with minor injuries.

The intersection was closed for approximately 1.5 hours while the Ventura Police Traffic unit conducted the accident investigation.

Possession of an Illegal Weapon

On April 18, at approximately 3:15pm, members of the Ventura Police Department SET team were in the area of the Promenade looking for a wanted subject. While looking for the suspect, they observed a male and female, 32 year old Eric Wayne Forrest and 21 year old Ashley Barreto, subjects known to them as wanted as persons in a separate investigation. They exited their vehicle and attempted to stop them.

As the detectives approached Forrest and Barreto, Forrest saw them and started to run away. As Forrest was running away, he dropped a backpack that he was carrying. It was later discovered that the backpack contained a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition. One of the detectives chased Forrest and eventually caught up to him and after a short struggle was able to take Forrest into custody. During a search of Forrest after the arrest, he was also found to be in possession of burglary tools.

Barretto remained where she was contacted; however, she did not cooperate, and she was taken to the ground and arrested. During a search of Barreto’s property, she was found to be in possession of burglary tools and drugs.

Forrest was arrested for felony possession of a sawed-off shotgun, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of burglary tools and a felon in possession of a weapon as well as misdemeanor resisting a police officer. A search of the Ventura County Superior Court shows that Forrest was arrested earlier this year for assault with a deadly weapon and felon in possession of a weapon.

Barreto was arrested for felony possession of burglary tools, identity theft and misdemeanor possession of drugs.

Robbery

On April 19, at 2:58pm, officers responded to the Vons on Telegraph to investigate a theft that had just occurred. The officers were told that Angela Brunson (11-2-1979) came into the store and began to stuff bottles of alcohol into her clothes. Loss prevention officers for the store observed Brunson stealing the alcohol and started to follow Brunson through the store. A short time later Brunson exited the store and loss prevention contacted her outside. During the contact, Brunson returned some of the items she took. However, she did not return all of the property and started to argue with the loss prevention officers.

While Brunson was arguing with the loss prevention officers, Charles Lee (1-18-1968) exited a vehicle in the parking lot and joined Brunson. Lee told the loss prevention officers that Brunson returned all the property and then started to assault the loss prevention officers. Brunson also started fighting with the loss prevention officers who immediately disengaged and let the two leave. Brunson and Lee got into the vehicle Lee had exited earlier and left the parking lot.

A short time later a motor officer was looking for the vehicle when he saw it in the area of Harbor and Peninsula. The officer made a traffic stop on the vehicle that was occupied by Brunson, Lee and a third subject who later determined not be involved in the crime.

Brunson was taken into custody and arrested for felony robbery. Lee was arrested for misdemeanor battery. Both were transported to Ventura County Jail and booked for their charges. No one was injured during the robbery at the store or the vehicle stop on Harbor.

Domestic Violence/Felon in Possession of a Loaded Gun

On April 19, at 7:21pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call of subjects arguing in the area of Antelope Ln. and Llama Ct. Officers arrived on scene and located Kendric Johnson

(12-2-1985) sitting in a vehicle at that location. Officers learned that the argument was a domestic incident and that the victim had visible injuries she said were caused by Johnson. Officers arrested Johnson for domestic violence. Officers saw that there was a firearms magazine with live rounds of ammunition and a can of tear gas in plain sight in the vehicle.

A records check of Johnson revealed that he has numerous prior felony convictions including one for possession of explosives and is prohibited from possessing ammunition and tear gas. Officers recovered those items and searched the vehicle for additional prohibited items. Officers located a total of three handguns, two of which were loaded. Officers also arrested Johnson for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a loaded firearm in public, being a felon in possession of tear gas, and for misdemeanor vandalism stemming from the domestic violence incident.