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.

 Possession of a Loaded Firearm  

On March 13, at approximately 4:30pm, a patrol officer was patrolling the area of Olive St. and Center St., and made a traffic stop on a vehicle for a moving violation.  The driver of the vehicle was contacted and the suspect, later identified as 19 year old Ventura resident Miguel Ortiz, was found to be a passenger sitting in the rear seat.

During a search of the vehicle, a loaded 45 caliber handgun was found concealed under the front passenger’s seat.  It was determined that Ortiz had possessed the firearm prior to being pulled over by the officer.  He was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Jail for possession of a loaded firearm.

The driver was cited for having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle and released.

Stabbing

On March 15, at approximately 4pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received several 911 calls of an altercation and injured subject in the area of San Pedro and Pierpont. Officers, along with Ventura City Fire and AMR personnel, responded to the call and found the victim, suffering from more than one non-life threatening stab wounds to both his arms.  He was immediately transported to VCMC for treatment of his injuries.

Witnesses reported seeing several people involved in an altercation near the restrooms, and then running from the area.  The victim was located in the area, but no suspects have been located.  Two unrelated people that were contacted during a search of the area were arrested for outstanding warrants.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing and anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Ventura Police Department at 339-4488.

Shooting ***Update*** Suspect Arrested

On March 16, at 8:30pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call reference an argument heard, followed by the sound of a gunshot coming from an apartment in the 11000 Block of Citrus Dr. Responding officers located the victim inside the apartment suffering from a single gunshot wound.  The suspect fled the scene prior to officer’s arrival. The victim was transported to a local hospital where she is currently listed in serious, but stable condition.

This is an active investigation. Detectives are still on scene trying to determine the sequence of events that led to this crime. Currently it’s believed this is an isolated domestic related incident. No additional information is available at this time.

Update:

During the investigation Detectives identified the suspect as 23 year old Ventura resident Ryan Argabright. Argabright and the victim are in a dating relationship and had been staying together at the apartment on Citrus Drive.  Ventura Police Detectives learned that the victim and Argabright got into an argument, which resulted in the victim being shot one time in upper body. As the investigation developed, Detectives learned that Argabright was possibly in a motel room at the La Quinta Inn in Newbury Park. A search warrant was obtained for the motel room and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team assisted with the execution of the warrant. Argabright was located inside the motel room and was taken into custody.  Argabright was transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked for attempted murder.

The victim is expected to recover from her injuries.

 Domestic Violence, Assault with a Deadly Weapon

On March 18, at 11:55pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a 911 call from several residents in the 9100 block of Neath St., reporting a male and female physically fighting in the street.  While officers were still responding to the call, one of the callers reported the male, later identified as 26 year old Ventura resident Stephen Opferman, was in possession of a gun and shots had been fired. Officers arrived on scene and using the Department’s tactical vehicle were able to safely secure the scene.  Opferman was taken into custody without further incident.

The investigation revealed that Opferman and the female, who are in a dating relationship, got into a physical altercation during which time Opferman armed himself with a firearm and hit the victim several times in the head.  The victim sustained moderate injuries.  She was treated at the scene by Ventura City Fire personal and released.

It was determined no shots had been fired, although a loaded firearm was found on the ground in the front yard of the residence.

Opferman was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Jail for domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon.

Felony Battery, Witness Intimidation, Felony Domestic Violence, PROS Offender   

On March 18, at approximately 5:30pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received several 911 calls of two males in a physical fight on the corner of Telephone Rd. and Portola Rd.  Officers arrived on scene and contacted a 63-year-old male victim of a felony battery.  The suspect, later identified as 34 year old Ventura resident Enrique Cardona, fled the scene in a vehicle before officers arrived.

During the investigation, officers learned the victim was walking past a residence in the 1100 block of Portola Rd., when he witnessed Cardona involved in a physical domestic with a female, who was holding a small child.  Both were outside of the residence.  Cardona followed the victim to the corner of Portola Rd. and Telephone Rd., and confronted him about being a witness to the physical domestic.  Cardona then battered the victim, causing him to lose consciousness and sustain other moderate injuries to his face.

After he battered the male victim, Cardona and the female were seen leaving with the child in a vehicle.  Officers checked the area, but could not locate them.

At approximately 8pm, the female victim from the earlier domestic incident involving Cardona arrived at Ventura County Medical Center for treatment of injuries she sustained during that altercation.  It was also found the 6-month-old child she had with her at the time was suffering from serious, potential life threatening injuries.  It was not known how the child sustained the injuries.  The child was immediately transported to Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles for treatment.  The current status of the child is not known.

On March 19, at approximately 9am, the vehicle Cardona was last seen driving during the previous day’s incident was located in the 100 block of W. Harrison St.  Officers remained in the area and took custody of Cardona without incident as he was attempting to leave in the vehicle.

Cardona was later booked into the Ventura County Jail for battery with serious bodily injury, witness intimidation, felony domestic violence, and for being a post release offender.

Detectives are continuing the child abuse investigation.  Child and Family Services is also assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Major Crimes Detectives at 339-4488.

Possession for Sales Arrest

On March 23, at approximately 12:45pm, Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit Detectives concluded a several week investigation into the suspected sales of methamphetamine from a suspect identified as 42 year old Ventura resident Antonio Chavez.

At approximately 12pm, detectives located Chavez as he left a residence in the 1200 block of Snipe Ave. He was detained without incident and detectives then responded to his residence in the 3000 block of Channel Dr to serve a search warrant.

During a search of Chavez’s residence detectives located and seized over an ounce and a half of methamphetamine, just under one ounce of heroin, one-quarter ounce of cocaine, evidence of narcotic sales, and a large amount of U.S. currency.

Chavez was arrested and later transported to the Ventura County Main Jail where he was booked on several felony charges of possession of a controlled substance for sales.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to please contact the Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit at 339-4325.  An anonymous tip can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

Theft from Vehicles and Resisting Officers Arrest

On March 24, at 6am, an alert neighbor saw a suspicious person riding a bike in their neighborhood.  The suspect, later identified as Dakota Gonzalez, was seen riding his bike up to a parked vehicle.  He was able to get inside the vehicle and while using a flashlight was seen taking items from the vehicle.

As this was occurring, the neighbor called the Ventura Police Department and officers responded.  The first arriving officer found the suspect, however he fled on his bike when the officer tried to stop him.  The suspect went into the barranca adjacent to the neighborhood, and as additional officers responded, they were able to contain the suspect to the barranca.  After a lengthy search, the suspect was found, however he again fled from officers.  After a brief foot pursuit, officers caught him and after a brief struggle, he was taken into custody.

At the conclusion of the investigation, two vehicles were located that the suspect had entered and stolen items from. The suspect was medically cleared at VCMC for minor injuries sustained during the arrest and later booked into Ventura County Jail on the charges of theft from a vehicle, delaying/ resisting officers and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.  No officers were injured during this incident.  If any additional citizens discover their vehicles were also broken into, they should contact the Ventura Police Department at (805)339-4399.

An anonymous tip can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.