Murder suspect, 24-year-old Raymond Bolanos remains in jail.

On January 18, a deadly shooting occurred in the public parking structure on Harbor Blvd. and California, resulting in the death of 21-year-old Alejandro Hernandez of Ventura. This is Ventura’s first murder in 2020, and police say the motive appears to be gang related.

At approximately 2:45am, a 911 call was received regarding a shooting victim at the top level of the parking structure. Patrol officers responded and located one victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was treated by Ventura City Fire and transported to the Ventura County Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Police said the crime occurred when one group – standing outside of their red Ford Mustang, was approached by the second group of people in a white sedan. The two groups started fighting when one person inside the vehicle shot at the group outside.

The Mustang fled the scene and ended up in Oxnard where the driver lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road by Victoria Ave. and Nantucket Parkway. CHP and Ventura police detained three of the vehicle’s occupants. One person fled the scene and was later apprehended.

The murder suspect, 24-year-old Raymond Bolanos, was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Jail for murder and gang enhancement.  A review of the Ventura County Superior Court website shows Bolanos has prior convictions for carrying a concealed firearm, gang enhancement and a hit and run.

Twenty-six-year old Julian Nunez was arrested for a parole violation warrant and has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon and battery with serious injury, and twenty-three-year old Stephanie Sanchez was arrested for a misdemeanor warrant. She has a prior conviction for possession of a loaded firearm.

Bolanos and Nuñez appeared in Ventura County Superior Court for an arraignment hearing. Bolanos was charged with murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Nuñez is accused of assault with a semi-automatic firearm as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Ventura County Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Bolanos, with an attorney from Conflict Defense Associates appointed in Nuñez’s case. CDA provides a legal defense for indigent defendants when cases conflict in the public defender’s office.

Both men also face allegations related to prior felonies and are accused of committing the alleged crimes for the benefit of a Santa Paula street gang.

Nuñez and Bolanos remain in Ventura County jail. Nuñez’s bail was set at $290,000 and Bolanos’ bail was set at $1.43 million. Both men are due back in court for a continued arraignment hearing on Feb. 20.

Facility will provide shelter, social services and mental health counseling.

By Shirley Lorraine

At long last, Ventura County’s first government-funded and led permanent, year-round homeless shelter is finally ready to open. The ARCH celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Monday, January 27. ARCH is an acronym for “All Roads Connect to Housing.”

A joint project between the city and county of Ventura, the 55-bed converted county-owned facility will provide shelter, social services and mental health counseling in addition to job assistance, benefits navigation and other educational programs.

The shelter, located at 2323 Knoll Drive in Ventura, will be operated by Orange County based Mercy House who will take and process referrals. Administration and 24/7 staffing will be done by Mercy House. Occupancy is by referral, and each applicant screened for suitability. According to one staffer, enough referrals have already come through to fill the facility from the get-go. No walk-in services are provided. Ventura’s facility will accommodate 17 single women and 38 single men. And dogs. And cats.

The Mercy House model is “housing first”, which focuses on aiding those in need find stable housing as a primary step toward re-integration into society. Participants will be required to work on a plan to find suitable housing. Case managers will be looking at ways to reduce the barriers between resident’s current situation and permanent housing. However, according to Judy Alexandre, chair of the Ventura Social Services Task Force, finding affordable housing in Ventura County is a continuing challenge.

Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere stated, “This shelter is going to change lives.” He lauded the years of hard work and commitment that have made this achievement a reality and recognized those who have helped lay groundwork for this project. “This is what happens when communities work together.”

Supervisor Steve Bennett added “This shows how our culture and politics have changed over the last 20 years. We are so proud to be the first city in Ventura County to step forward for this project.” He urged everyone to continue to support the next phases of the project.

City Manager Alex McIntyre noted that the “city has made a long-term commitment in this journey toward success.”

Members of the San Buenaventura Women’s Club made and donated 80 blankets for the facility in December. President Rosemary Wilde and several members were present at the opening, presenting a donation of toiletry items, socks and personal care items for the new residents. Oak View Women’s Club and Ojai Women’s Club also donated blankets. Donations from many sources piled about five feet high in the entrance, with more to come.

Volunteers are a key component to the success of the program. To explore volunteer opportunities, contact Anabel Garcia, Volunteer Associate at [email protected] or (714) 836-7188 ext.197. Volunteers are needed for all shifts, all days.

How else can you help? Call (714) 836-7188 or go to www.mercyhouse.net – click on programs, shelters, the Arch. There is a link to their Amazon wish list. Purchases can be made and delivered directly to the facility. Of course, monetary donations are always accepted too.

For more information also visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/homelessefforts.

Don’t give your credit card information to someone pretending to be your grandchild.

Residents are advised that phone scammers have been targeting residents impersonating Ventura Police Employees. The scammers are using a device that makes it appear to the victim that the phone call is coming from the Ventura Police business line of 805-339-4400. The scammer is telling residents that they have an out of county warrant and need to pay a fee or face arrest. Please be advised that the Ventura Police Department does not request personal information over the phone and would not solicit this type of information.

The community is urged to be vigilant and aware of these scams to avoid falling victim. Never follow directions from someone on the phone that requests personal information or money.  If you believe you have been the victim of a scam in which you have suffered financial loss, contact the Ventura Police Department at 805-339-4400. If you have not suffered financial loss and you have not provided any personal information by phone, please report the call to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit ftc.gov/complaint.

The community is also advised to be aware of additional phone scams that have impacted residents:

IRS Scam: The scammer says money is owed and must be paid immediately by phone.

Edison/Gas Scam: The scammer says money is owed and if not paid immediately the service will be turned off.

Jury Duty Scam: The scammer says money is owed for not showing up to jury duty and if not paid jail time will occur.

Social Security/Medicare Scam: The scammer says they are an officer with the social security office or with Medicare. They say your account has been hacked and then they proceed to ask for personal information.

“Can You Hear Me” Scam: Scammers are calling victims hoping to get them to say the word “yes” during the conversation that’s being recorded. The scammer will later use the recording of the victim saying yes to authorize unwanted charges on the victim’s utility or credit card account.

Text Message Phishing Scam: Scammers are using a new texting scam and spoofing banks’ phone numbers and sending text messages to customers. A spoofed phone number hides the actual number the text is coming from and displays a number from a trusted source, like your bank. The text claims that your debit card has been used to make a purchase and if you do not recognize the transaction, you need to call their fraud prevention helpline. A phone number is provided for you to call. Because the incoming text looks like it’s from your bank, people are falling for this. If you do call the number provided in the text, the fraudster will answer the phone. They will then ask you to confirm your sensitive banking details. This would allow the scammer to steal money from your account.

Grandparent Scam: A scammer poses as a grandchild and claims to be in jail and in need of money for bail. These imposters claim they are in another state or out of the country and need money wired to help bail them out of jail.

Ventura dignitaries were on hand to pick up the bus.

Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) has donated a paratransit vehicle to the City of Ventura homeless shelter, operated by Mercy House, to facilitate mobility options for its residents.

The District retired a few cutaway-style vehicles that had reached the end of their fleet service life. They kept a few vehicles to refurbish and donate. Ventura City worked through a few details of owning one and gladly accepted the gift.

The donated vehicle features a mobility lift that serves riders with mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, scooters and walkers. It is also environmentally friendly, as it is powered by compressed natural gas (CNG).

James Brook, the Orange County Programs Director of Emergency Services for Mercy House picked up the vehicle. He was joined by City of Ventura Councilmember and GCTD Board Chair, Cheryl Heitmann, Ventura City Manager Alex McIntyre, and Deputy City Manager Barry Fisher.

Saturday, January 10, saw the Kings Tide Project come to Ventura for a public meeting and tour of extreme tide events occurring January 10, and 11th. A crowd gathered at the Promenade to get a tour of the damage that has been done from sea level rise and the potential for more damage as ocean levels rise.

The Kings Tide Project is a research project run in conjunction between CSUCI and the Surfrider Foundation that focuses on King Tide events and its impact on ocean waves and its impact on the coast. King Tides bring tidal events that alter the size and duration of waves which bring flooding to our coast.

Ventura Councilmember Christy Weir led a group of interested individuals on a tour that stretched from surfers point to the river.

“Really happy to see the turnout as the public becomes aware of this” said Weir. The city council has an important role to play and will take action to include the concerns of the project and the public. “I think it is helpful to the city council that we are all working with the same information, the reality of what we are facing.” She added.

As ocean levels rise cities must take steps to mitigate the damage and take steps to prevent major infrastructure problems.

The Kings Tide project also asks the public to photograph and observe the waves and tide on morning walks along the beach and send them to the project’s website. Surfers are also asked to fill out a small form and answer some questions about the duration, size and quality of the waves.

“When we do our general plan, update we’re going to have a chapter on coastal resiliency.” She added. “It getting to the point where we have to deal with it, its an emergency.”

Taking steps to moderate the potential effects will be expensive and the city can’t do this without help from the state and federal governments. “we are working on coastal conservancy grants and also there are some federal FEMA grants.” she said.

Remember to take some photos of the waves and any erosion you might see and help this project by sending any photos or comments to the King Tides Project at https:/www.coastal.ca.gov.

The American Red Cross currently has a critical need for blood donors of all blood types – especially type O – and platelet donors to make an appointment now to give and help replenish the blood supply after the holiday weeks. Right now, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood.

During the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s, about 500 fewer blood drives were hosted by volunteer sponsor groups than required to meet patient needs. Many groups postpone blood drives during the winter holidays when travel and holiday activities may make it challenging for many donors to give.

“Lifesaving medical treatments and emergencies never take a holiday,” said Paul Sullivan, senior vice president, Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Declines in donations can affect patient care. That’s why the Red Cross is encouraging eligible donors to make an appointment to give now and help those sidelined by illness and trauma.”

Donors are urged to make an appointment to give now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

As a special thank-you, those who come to give blood or platelets until Jan.19, 2020, will automatically be entered for a chance to experience the Super Bowl live. The Red Cross and NFL have teamed up to offer one winner two tickets to Super Bowl LIV, entry to the official NFL Tailgate, tickets to Super Bowl Experience at the Miami Beach Convention Center, round-trip airfare to Miami, three-night hotel accommodations at The Alexander® – All Suite Oceanfront Resort (Jan. 31 to Feb. 3), and a $500 gift card for expenses.* Additional details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl.

“The Red Cross appreciates the NFL’s support during this crucial time of year when every donation – and every donor – matters. We hope this may inspire some to make regular blood and platelet donation one of their New Year’s resolutions,” said Sullivan.

Upcoming Ventura blood donation opportunities:

1/21/2020: 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Ventura County Government Center Hall of Administration Building, 800 Victoria Ave

1/21/2020: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 36 S. Figueroa St.

1/28/2020: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.