Possession of Stolen Property

On Thursday, December 17th, at 2:30 a.m., unknown suspects smashed a window of the Trek bike store, located at 4060 East Main Street, and stole five bicycles.

On December 21st, VPD Street Crimes Unit detectives received information that a local vagrant, Timothy Nelson, was in possession of one of the stolen bikes and that he frequented a camp below Telephone Road near the train tracks.

Detectives responded to this location and located Nelson along with a stolen Trek bike. Nelson was arrested for possession of stolen property and possession of narcotic paraphernalia.

Nelson was later booked at the VC Jail.

Two other vagrants were located in the camp and arrested for unrelated offenses.

Sandra Dillard was arrested for an outstanding parole warrant and Jose Capo was arrested for possession of narcotic paraphernalia.

The other stolen Trek bikes were not located.

Armed Robbery

 On Saturday, December 26th, at 5:47 a.m., the VPD received a call of a robbery that had occurred at the USA gas station at 887 North Ventura Avenue. Officers learned that an unknown male wearing a black ski mask entered the business and brandished a silver handgun, pointing it at the clerk, Ivan Mejia.

The suspect, a white male, demanded the money from the register, and then fled from the business westbound towards Barnett Avenue. Officers searched the area and were unable to locate any suspects matching the description. Mejia was unharmed during the commission of this crime.

Commercial Burglary

On Saturday, December 26th, at 10:00 a.m., the VPD received a call of a commercial burglary at the Salzer’s Records store, at 5777 Valentine Road. The business owners reported that they had received a security alarm activation the previous day, when they were closed for business. They had checked the exterior of the business, found it to be secure, and thought it had been a false alarm.

On Saturday, employees discovered that a glass display case was shattered inside the business and numerous items of merchandise were missing.

An officer reviewed the video and got a good description of the suspect, who appeared to be a vagrant. The officer located Torin Davey at a nearby fast food establishment and recognized him as the suspect who was seen on video committing the burglary. Davey was also found to be in possession of several items that were taken during the burglary. Davey was arrested and booked at the VC Jail.

Resisting Arrest

On Saturday, December 26th, at 4:00 p.m., a VPD officer was patrolling the area of the Ventura Pier, 668 Harbor Boulevard, when he observed a subject he recognized as having felony warrants for his arrest. The subject, Michael Fiegel, was sitting with several other subjects underneath the pier.

The officer contacted Fiegel, who immediately became uncooperative. Once the officer’s back up arrived, they attempted to take him into custody, but he resisted. Fiegel tried to hit the officers and grabbed the officer’s bullet resistant vest, scratching the officer’s neck. He continued to resist until a taser was deployed, which allowed the officers to take him into custody.

After being cleared at VCMC for minor injuries he sustained during the arrest, Fiegel was booked into the VC Jail.

Arson Arrest

On Sunday, December 27th, at 8:21 a.m., the VPD received a call from William Skinner reporting that his ex-girlfriend, Jacqueline Zavala-Lopez, was disturbing his residence in the 5300 block of Basie Street and attempting to break his front window. Before officers arrived, Zavala-Lopez had left the area. Skinner received a message from Zavala-Lopez telling him to check his vehicle, which was parked in an apartment complex parking lot across the street. It was discovered Zavala-Lopez had intentionally set his vehicle on fire.  The VC Fire Department was dispatched and extinguished the fire.

Officers worked with the Skinner, who convinced Zavala-Lopez to meet him in downtown Ventura. Zavala-Lopez was spotted by officers near the Starbucks, where she was taken into custody.

Zavala-Lopez was arrested and booked into the VC Jail.

The fire department personnel determined Skinner’s vehicle was a total loss.

Robbery

 On Wednesday, December 30th, at 6:30 p.m., the VPD received a call reporting a robbery. The victim, Michael Hurtado, was approached by three suspects in front of Red Barn Liquor, located at 1285 North Ventura Avenue. The suspects confronted Hurtado and demanded money from him. Then, they physically attacked Hurtado by punching and kicking him. Hurtado sustained minor injuries but they were not life threatening.

All three suspects were described as Hispanic males, 25-30 years old. They were all wearing dark clothing, and fled in an unknown direction. The investigation is ongoing.

Vehicle Pursuit

On Thursday, December 31st, at 2:27 a.. the VPD received a call from the victim of a road rage incident, stemming from a disturbance at the Golden China Restaurant. Earlier in the evening, the victim asked the suspect, Adam Wareham, to leave the restaurant due to his behavior. As the restaurant was closing, Wareham returned to the restaurant and began following the victim. The victim felt threatened so he called 9-1-1.

Officers located Wareham in the area of Victoria and Ralston, and initiated a traffic stop.   Rather than stopping his vehicle, he accelerated. The pursuit continued in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the Pacific View Mall. The vehicle was located abandoned near Grove Street and Foothill Road.

Wareham was found hiding in the barranca near Hall Canyon. He was taken into custody and booked at the VC Jail.

Residential Burglary

 On Tuesday, December 8th, at 7:21 a.m., an alert neighbor called the VPD and reported a possible residential burglary in progress at a residence in the 100 block of Emma Avenue. Patrol were able to detain both suspects, Richard Cohrt and Danielle Lee, as they were leaving the house. The suspects were found in possession of stolen property from the residence. Cohrt was later booked into VC Jail on the charges of conspiracy and burglary, as well as an unrelated warrant. Lee was also booked into VC Jail.

Attempted Armed Robbery

On Saturday, December 12th, at 12:19 a.m., the VPD received a call from the victim, Michael Brown, reporting that a suspect, Rayvonn Richardson, just attempted to rob him of his cell phone while walking in the 2700 block of E. Main Street.

Brown told officers he was walking down the street when he was approached by Richardson, who asked to use his cell phone. When Brown asked for his cell phone back, Richardson pulled out what appeared to be a small handgun, pointed it at Brown and threatened to shoot him. Brown grabbed his phone and fled the area. He then notified the police.

Richardson was located by officers and detained. Richardson was booked into the VC Jail. While inside the jail, he was found to be in possession of a controlled substance.  Richardson was also booked for possession inside of a jail facility.

While conducting follow-up on this case, investigators learned that the suspect committed two separate robberies that occurred at different locations. The crimes occurred on 10/21/15, when Richardson robbed Jiles Sanabria, and 10/22/15, robbing a 16 year old juvenile. All 3 of the cases were submitted to the District Attorney’s Office and robbery charges were filed against the suspect.

Possession of a Firearm

On Sunday, December 13th, at 2:15 p.m., officers from the VPD, along with deputies from the VC Sheriff’s Department, were monitoring a motorcycle event at a restaurant in the 700 block of S. Seaward Avenue. Deputies observed a subject, Jeffrey Wilhite, leaving the parking lot on his motorcycle and conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation. When deputies contacted Wilhite, he admitted to being armed with a loaded handgun.

Two additional motorcyclists with Wilhite were detained. Upon searching him further, Wilhite was also found to be in possession of metal knuckles and knives. He was arrested and later transported by the deputies to the VC Jail. Wilhite was booked for carrying a loaded firearm and possession of metal knuckles.

The two other motorcyclists were released.

Felony Vandalism

On Sunday, December 13th, at 9:05 p.m., a Ventura Police K9 officer observed a male subject who appeared to be vandalizing a gas pump at the 76 Gas Station located at 1121 S. Victoria Avenue.

The officer stopped and attempted to contact the suspect, Daniel Godinez, who immediately fled, running southbound on Victoria Avenue. Officers pursued Godinez as he ran back and forth across Victoria Avenue before stopping just south of Gaviota Street. As officers approached Godinez, he obtained a large rock from the side of the roadway and hurled it at the K9 officer, striking his patrol vehicle. Godinez then violently resisted officers as they attempted to take him into custody. The K9 was deployed and Godinez was taken into custody after a brief struggle.

Godinez was transported to the VCMC where he was treated for minor injuries he incurred as a result of the K9 deployment. He was later transported to the VC Jail where he was booked.

Attempted Robbery

On Tuesday, December 15th, at 5:45 a.m., the VPD received a call of a robbery. Officers arrived on scene and learned that the victim, Jeffrey Warren, was jogging in the area of 2161 Pierpont Boulevard when he was approached by a Hispanic male. The suspect struck Warren in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Warren was then hit and kicked by one, possibly two other suspects.

While Warren was down, the suspects searched him, looking for valuables. The suspects then got into a light colored sedan and fled the area.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects.

The victim received minor injuries and refused medical treatment at the scene.

Armed Robbery

On Tuesday, December 15th, at 10:50 p.m., the victim was walking west along the Highway 101 overpass pedestrian bridge near Johnson Drive when he was approached by a group of males.

The suspect, a Hispanic male, confronted the victim as he attempted to pass. The suspect brandished a long gun, which he had concealed under his clothing, and demanded the victim’s property. Fearing for his safety, the victim relinquished an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the area.

The suspect was last seen walking east on the pedestrian bridge towards the city of Oxnard. Officers checked the surrounding area but were unsuccessful in locating the suspect. The victim was not injured as a result of this incident.

Armed Robbery

On Tuesday, December 1st, at 7:45 a.m., the VPD received a call from a victim in reference to an armed robbery. The victim was walking to her vehicle parked in the parking lot of her apartment complex. The suspect startled the victim and pointed a handgun at her. The suspect demanded the victim’s property, and she complied with the suspect’s demands. The victim was unharmed during the commission of this crime.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, wearing a blue beanie and bandana. The investigation is ongoing.

Elder Abuse

In late October 2015, VPD Street Crimes Unit detectives began investigating a residential burglary in which a large amount of jewelry had been stolen from an elderly couple.

The wife of the 91 year old victim suspected that her husband’s caregiver may have been involved in the theft. The value of the items stolen was estimated at over $6,700.00.

Detectives followed up on the information provided by the victims and were able to identify the caregiver, Valerie Olmos, as the person who had pawned some of the stolen jewelry at a local business.

A search warrant for Olmos’ residence was obtained and on Thursday, December 3rd, in the 100 block of Leighton Drive, detectives served the warrant and took Olmos into custody for burglary and elder abuse. During the search of her residence no additional stolen jewelry was located, however detectives did locate a controlled substance and narcotic paraphernalia.

Olmos was later transported and booked into the VC Jail.

Shooting With Arrest

On Friday, December 4th, at 3:53pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received numerous calls regarding a shooting that had just occurred in the area of Hill Road and Telephone Road.  Patrol officers and detectives responded to the area, however initially they did not locate any potential victims or the suspect.  As the search continued in the surrounding neighborhoods, officers located the suspect running away from the scene on Swift Avenue south of Ralston Street.  The suspect, Jonathan Sabalza, 19 years of Ventura was detained by the officers, and during the initial contact with him, a loaded handgun was found.  The victim was never located.

The investigation revealed the suspect had been involved in an argument with the unknown victim. During the argument, the suspect pulled out the gun and fired one round in the direction of the victim.  The suspect and the victim then fled the area.  It does not appear that the victim was struck by the bullet.  At the conclusion of the investigation, the suspect was booked into Ventura County Jail on the charges of assault with a deadly weapon, street terrorism, carrying a loaded firearm, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and a firearm and an unrelated no bail warrant for violation of his Post Release Offender status.

Armed Robbery

On Friday, December 4th, at 10pm the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call of a robbery that had just occurred at the Gasco Station on North Ventura Avenue. Officers arrived on scene and learned that an unknown male wearing a black ski mask, described as an  Hispanic male 25-35 years of age entered the business and brandished a black semi-auto handgun pointing it at the clerk Alfredo Villagomez.

The suspect demanded the money from the register and the clerk’s cell phone. The clerk gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money and his personal cell phone. The suspect fled northbound from the business on foot. Officers searched the area and were unable to located any suspects matching the description.

Assault With A Cane

On Saturday, December 5th,  at noon the Ventura Police Command Center received several 911 calls of subjects physically fighting, one armed with a cane, at the Bus Depot, 3330 Telegraph Rd.  Before officers arrived on scene, it was reported the subject with cane had hit a female in the head.  Upon the arrival of officers, they contacted the victim, Kristen Kleider (36 years, vagrant).

Kleider told the officers that she had gotten into a verbal altercation with the suspect, later identified as Mark Lemmon( 55 years Ventura)  Both were waiting for a bus at the bus depot.  Several other witnesses reported that Kleider was causing a disturbing when she confronted Lemmon and got into an argument.  Lemmon then struck Kleider in the head with his cane.

Kleider was checked on scene by Ventura City Fire, but only had a complaint of pain.

Lemmon was still at the scene and arrested.  He was booked into the Ventura County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon.  No one else was injured as  a result of this incident.

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Child Sexual Abuse Arrest

On Monday, October 26th, at 4:30 p.m., the VPD received a report of lewd conduct with a child. A juvenile victim reported to a patrol officer that Mathew Boyd, 41 years old, had touched her in a sexual manner.

Detectives began a follow up investigation and spoke to several additional victims. One of the victims interviewed is now an adult, and told investigators the crime occurred in 2006. All of the victims identified Mathew Boyd as the suspect that had touched them in an inappropriate manner

On Monday, November 11th, Mathew Boyd turned himself into detectives at the VPD. He was arrested and later booked at the VC Jail for lewd contact with a juvenile.

Robbery

On Tuesday, November 10th, at 6:15 a.m., the VPD received a call in reference to a carjacking in the parking lot of 11111 Citrus Drive. Officers contacted the victim. The victim reported he was delivering newspapers in the complex when he was approached by the suspects, two Hispanic males. One of the suspects brandished a handgun and demanded the victim’s money while the second suspect jumped into the driver’s seat of the victim’s running vehicle. After a short exchange, both suspects then sped off in the victim’s vehicle.

Officers located the vehicle a short distance away in the same complex. Officers, with the assistance of a Ventura Sherriff’s K9 unit, searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects. The suspects took the victim’s cell phone and wallet during the incident.

Resisting Arrest

On Monday, November 9th, at 6:52 p.m., an officer was patrolling the downtown area when he observed a suspicious subject loitering and possibly attempting to burglarize a business in the 200 block of East Santa Clara Street. The officer detained the subject and began checking the area to see if he was committing a crime. Moments later, a second subject, identified as Llovani Gutierrez, suddenly appeared from the same area of the business and fled on foot. The officer gave Gutierrez several commands, but he refused to stop running. The officer then deployed his police K-9.

After a brief foot pursuit, and with the assistance of the police K-9, the officer caught and detained Gutierrez at the corner of Main Street and Palm Street.

After being cleared at VCMC for injuries he sustained from the dog bite, it was discovered that Gutierrez had given false information and that his real name was Geovany Salinas. Salinas was booked into the VC Jail. The initial subject that was detained by the officer fled from the scene and was not located.

Attempted Vehicle Burglary

On Friday, November 13th, at 7:25 a.m., the VPD received a phone call from an alert citizen who reported seeing suspects attempting to break into parked vehicles, near Champlain Avenue and Neath Street. Patrol officers were sent to the area however, prior to their arrival, the suspects fled. The responding officers searched the surrounding neighborhood and located one of the suspects, Miguel Hernandez, on Northbank Drive east of Petit Avenue. Through the course of the investigation, officers were able to confirm he was one of the suspects. He was also found to be in possession of “shaved” keys, which he was using to attempt to open the vehicle doors.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Hernandez was booked into VC Jail. The second suspect was not located. It was discovered later that the vehicle Hernandez had been driving had been stolen out of Oxnard.

Assault On Oxnard Officer

On Thursday, November 19^th, at 11:40 a.m. an Oxnard Police Officer was retrieving equipment from his patrol car at the Ventura County Medical Center. As he was retrieving his equipment, the suspect, Adam Barcenas (53 years, Oxnard resident) approached the officer.

Barcenas was holding a brick and was about to throw the brick at the officer when the alert officer noticed the suspect, drew his firearm, and began to order Barcenas to drop the brick. The suspect complied with the commands of the officer and dropped the brick.

Ventura Police responded to assist and Barcenas was taken into custody without incident. Barcenas was subsequently booked into Ventura County Jail for Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Police Officer.

Shooting

On Friday, November 20th, at 7:40 p.m. Ventura Police patrol officers responded to a call of a shooting that had just occurred between two vehicles in the 9300 block of Telephone Road.  When officers arrived, they located the victim parked in a nearby parking lot.  He was not injured during the shooting; however his vehicle had been damaged by a single gunshot which had traveled through the front windshield of his car. The investigation revealed the victim and the suspect had been involved in a “road rage” incident.  During the incident, the suspect shot one round at the victim and then fled the area.  Officers searched the area, however the suspect, Hispanic male adult driving a dark colored sedan was not located.

Shooting

On Monday, October 26th, at 11:30 p.m., the VPD received a call of a shooting inside a residence in the 2000 block of Koala Way.

Officers located the victim inside and suffering from a single gunshot wound to her abdomen. Officers searched the residence and located a male subject, James Lotspeich, in the rear yard who was suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Both subjects were treated on-scene by Fire Department and AMR and then transported to a local hospital. They are both in critical condition.

VPD Major Crime detectives were called out to the scene and are conducting an active investigation.  This incident appears to be a result of a domestic disturbance.

Residential Burglary

On Wednesday, October 28th, at 7:55 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residential burglary in progress at 87 North Chestnut. The victim’s neighbor arrived home and noticed Brian Baldwin inside of the residence. The neighbor attempted to make contact with Baldwin through a window. Baldwin threatened to kill the neighbor and retreated back into the house. The neighbor immediately contacted VPD dispatch.

Officers made contact with Baldwin inside of the house and he was taken into custody without incident.

The investigation revealed that Baldwin entered the home through an open window, took several items from the residence and loaded them into the bed of a truck nearby. Baldwin then returned to the residence to get more property when officers arrived.

Baldwin was booked at the VC Jail.

Sexual Battery

On Saturday, October 31st, at 9:33 a.m., the VPD received a call of a sexual battery that had just occurred inside of the Target store at 4200 East Main Street. The suspect reportedly made sexual comments and gestures to several female patrons inside the store.  He then approached a female employee and grabbed her buttocks. He was confronted by a male patron and then left the store and walked out of the area.

Officers located Aaron Carter, matching the suspect description, a few blocks away. Carter was identified as the suspect and was taken into custody without incident. Carter was booked at the VC Jail.

Criminal Threats

On Monday, November 2nd, at 5:12 a.m., the VPD received call from a resident in the 300 Block of Kern Street. The victim indicated that her adult son, Jorge Zamora, had threatened to kill her with a Samurai sword. Officers were able to safely remove the victim and her other son from the residence. Zamora then barricaded himself in his bedroom and refused to come out. His mother indicated that there were Samurai swords in the bedroom with Zamora.

After several minutes of attempting to contact Zamora, officers entered the residence and found Zamora in his bedroom. Zamora refused all instructions of the officers and was ultimately taken into custody with the use of a Taser. Zamora was found to be extremely combative and under influence of methamphetamine. There were swords in the bedroom with Zamora, however he did not attempt to use them against the officers.

Zamora was booked at the VC Jail.

Resisting Arrest

On Sunday, November 1st, at 1:20 a.m., several officers were on foot in the downtown area when they were hailed by Dargan’s security guards regarding a combative male, later identified as Benjamin Sevier, who was fighting them and refusing to leave the bar, located at 593 East Main Street. As security staff struggled to escort Sevier outside, he continued to physically fight with staff, until officers intervened and attempted to take Sevier into custody.

Officers gave Sevier several commands and ample time to stop fighting and submit to arrest; however, Sevier refused and attempted to punch one of the security guards in the face and started violently kicking at the officers. A Taser device was used, which Sevier attempted to take from the officer. The officer was able to maintain control of the Taser, which, when deployed, did not have an effect on Sevier. Officers had to use physical force to take Sevier into custody.

After being cleared at VCMC for minor injuries he sustained during the arrest, Sevier was booked into the VC Jail.

Possession of a Stolen Vehicle

On Saturday, October 31st, at 11:38 p.m., a patrol officer observed a suspicious vehicle in the area of Victoria and Valentine Road. As the officer initiated a U-turn to investigate further, the vehicle in question made some evasive driving maneuvers. The officer located the vehicle in the 5500 block of Walker Street and initiated a traffic enforcement stop referencing a vehicle code violation. The driver continued to drive for a half mile and yielded on Ralston Street.

Further investigation revealed that the vehicle in question was an unreported stolen vehicle out of Oxnard. The driver, later identified as Jacob Steir, was taken into custody without incident. Steir also had an outstanding no bail felony warrant. Steir was later booked into VC Jail.

Brandishing a Firearm

On Sunday, October 18th, at 8:08 p.m., the VPD received a call from Jose Castillo, who reported a suspect brandished a firearm at him in the 600 block of Riverside Street.

The suspect, Javier Castro, had made threatening statements to Castillo while brandishing a firearm. Castillo feared for his life and called 911. Responding officers located Castro attempting to drive away.

Officers stopped the vehicle Castro was driving at Warner Street and Ventura Avenue and took him into custody. During the search of Castro’s vehicle, officers located a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, ammunition and a high capacity magazine. Castro had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and is prohibited from possessing a firearm and/or ammunition.

Evading Police

On Thursday, October 22nd, at 10:20 p.m., the VPD received multiple calls reporting gunfire on North Dunning Avenue. The callers reported seeing a silver vehicle occupied with multiple subjects fleeing the scene eastbound on Telegraph Road. As officers were responding to scene, they observed a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description driving at a high rate of speed near the Five-Points intersection.

Officers attempted to the stop vehicle but the vehicle failed to yield. After a brief pursuit, the vehicle stopped on Howard Street, near Thompson Boulevard, and the suspect driver, Andrew Hurns, fled from the vehicle on foot. The other four occupants in the vehicle complied with officers’ instructions, and they were taken into custody safely. As for Hurns, he was eventually taken into custody after he was located hiding in a nearby neighborhood.

The subsequent investigation revealed Hurns had threatened the residents at a home on San Luis Street with a replica firearm. The victim, in fear for his safety, armed himself with a real firearm and fired several rounds at Hurns’ vehicle. The bullets struck the vehicle, but no individuals were struck by the gunfire.

The replica firearm and a small quantity of narcotics were recovered from the suspect vehicle. Hurns was booked at the VC Jail.

Firearm Possession

On Sunday, September 27th, at 7:28 a.m., officers responded to a call of suspicious circumstances at a residence in the 1800 block of Topaz Avenue. The caller reported seeing an unknown subject, Dan Hulsey, sleeping on the doorstep of a neighbor’s residence. Hulsey was said to be in a sleeping bag.

When the first officer contacted Hulsey, he found that he had a firearm on the ground next to him. Additional officers arrived and took Hulsey into custody.

The investigation revealed the firearm, along with several other items of property found in Hulsey’s possession, was stolen out of an unreported burglary to a motorhome in Saticoy. All of the property was returned to the owner.

Package Theft

On Friday, September 25th, at 1:50 p.m., an alert citizen saw Mary Dunham-Lopez and Victoria Sander-Robles attempt to steal a delivery package from the front porch of his house. After the suspects were confronted by the citizen, they dropped the package and fled from the porch. The citizen called the police to report the crime, and he briefly followed the suspects as they fled in their vehicle.

A responding patrol officer located the suspect vehicle and was able to conduct a traffic stop in the 2200 block of East Main Street. The subsequent investigation revealed additional stolen delivery packages from other residences in Ventura. The suspects were arrested and booked into VC Jail. The owners of the recovered stolen packages were contacted and the items were returned.

Armed Robbery

On Tuesday, September 29th, at 11:05 p.m., the VPD received a call from one of the clerks at the Shell Gas Station on 2440 South Victoria Avenue who stated that they had been a victim of an armed robbery. The suspect, a Hispanic male in his 30’s, entered the store and walked up to the counter displaying a handgun. The suspect demanded that the two clerks give him money. One of the clerks opened the cash register and handed the suspect an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect fled away from the gas station.

Several patrol officers responded to the area and attempted to locate the suspect, but he was not found.

Armed Robbery

On Thursday, October 1st, at 4:09 a.m., the VPD received a call from a Three Star Book and News clerk, located at 359 East Main Street, reporting an armed robbery. The suspect entered the store posing as a customer and lured the clerk from around the counter. Then the suspect pointed a handgun at clerk and demanded the money from the register. Once the suspect received the money, he bound the victim’s wrist and forced him to lie on the ground. The clerk was ordered not to move and he was unharmed during this incident.  The suspect fled in an unknown direction.

VPD patrol officers responded to the area and attempted to locate the suspect, but he was not located.

Felon in Possession of Firearm

On Thursday, October 1st, at 8:28 p.m., two officers assigned to a special enforcement detail were in the area of North Bank Drive and Johnson Drive when they observed Jeffrey Savala riding a bicycle without a light. The officers stopped Savala, who was acting very nervous and reached for his waistband area. One of the officers conducted a patdown search of Savala and found a loaded handgun in his pants pocket. After further investigation, the officers learned that the serial number on the handgun had been obliterated and Savala is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm. Savala recently plead guilty to two counts of felony vandalism for his involvement in a series of tire slashes that occurred in the city of Ventura earlier this year and was released on his own recognizance pending sentencing.

Burglary With Shooting

On  Friday, October 9th, at 7;50pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received several calls regarding a shooting at a residence in the 8200 block of Denver Street.  Patrol officers arrived on scene and found a victim at the residence who was suffering from non-life threatening gunshot wounds. The investigation revealed the victim had interrupted a residential burglary at the house and was shot by the suspect.  The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Prowling and Vehicle Tampering

On Wednesday, September 16th, at 2:52 a.m., the VPD received a phone call from an alert resident in the 5400 block of Ralston Street stating that a subject was trying door handles to vehicles in the area of the Ralston Courtyards Apartment Complex. A Ventura sergeant arrived and observed the suspect looking into vehicles and attempting to enter them. The suspect set off a car alarm in the carport area. After hearing the alarm, the sergeant identified himself and the suspect fled. The Sergeant gave chase and caught the suspect with the assistance of other arriving officers.

The suspect, Diego Santos, was arrested on July 26th for vehicle tampering, resisting arrest, prowling, and possession of stolen property after being found in the same area checking door handles on vehicles. On that date, Santos ran from officers and was caught with stolen property in his possession. Santos is currently on probation for vehicle tampering and possession of stolen property.

Armed Robbery

On Friday, September 18th, at 10:56 p.m., the VPD received a call from the victim of an armed robbery. The victim was parked in front of the Starbucks at 4711 Telephone Road and he was working on his computer inside of his vehicle. The suspect startled the victim and pointed a handgun at him. The suspect demanded the victim’s property, and he complied with the suspect’s demands. The victim was unharmed during the commission of this crime.

The suspect was described a White or Hispanic male in his 30s, and he was last seen running from the scene towards Donlon Street in the vicinity of the Target shopping center. The surrounding business complexes and the local area were searched for the suspect with negative results.

Strong Arm Robbery

On Saturday, September 19th, at 3:57 p.m., the VPD received several calls of vagrants physically fighting in front of a business in the 4700 block of Telephone Road. While officers were still responding to the call, one of the callers reported that a female, identified as Terri Atherton, was injured.

Officers learned that Atherton was sitting on a bench to the front of a business when the suspect, Christopher Living, walked past her. Living grabbed a pack of cigarettes from Atherton’s purse and as he removed the cigarettes, punched her several times in the face.  A brief struggle ensued, before Living fled from the scene.

Officers located Living a short distance away. Living was booked into the VC Jail.

Atherton was treated at the scene by VC Fire personnel for non-life threatening injuries to her face and then transported to VCMC by ambulance.

Multiple Stabbings

On Sunday, September 20th, at 4:04 p.m., the VPD received numerous calls of a physical fight, with individuals being stabbed, at a baseball game in Harry A. Lyon Park in the 2000 block of Cameron Street. Officers found two stabbing victims at the park. The victims were a 19-year-old male suffering from several life threatening injuries and a 38-year-old male suffering from serious injuries both to their upper torso. A third stabbing victim, identified as a 21-year-old male, was found in front of Deanza School. He was also found to be suffering from several life threatening stab wounds.

All three individuals were transported to VCMC for treatment of their injuries and are currently listed in serious to critical condition.

A 19-year-old male, Isaac Lopez, was located several blocks away by responding officers and taken into custody as being involved in the stabbings. The third individual found stabbed in front of the school has been identified as a possible suspect in the stabbing.

Vehicle Vandalisms

On Tuesday, September 22nd, the VPD received several reports of vehicles having been vandalized during the nighttime hours in the neighborhood above Main Street, between Palm Street and Lincoln Drive. A total of 15 vehicles were vandalized by having tires slashed. These crimes appear to have been random in nature and were not targeting a specific victim. This is the second time in the last month of similar incidents in this area, but at this time it is unknown if they are related. The suspect is believed to be a White male, between the ages of 40-50, wearing a brimmed hat.

Resisting Arrest

On Wednesday, September 23rd, at 9:53 p.m., the VPD received a request for assistance from the VC Sheriff’s Dept. They were involved in a vehicle pursuit of a reckless driver speeding on the 101 freeway. The suspect vehicle exited at Seaward Avenue and VPD officers assumed control of the pursuit, as it traveled through the city limits. The suspect vehicle entered the neighborhoods in the vicinity Skyline and Foothill Road.

As the suspect vehicle traveled through these residential neighborhoods, the driver would stop the car in the middle of the street and yell obscenities at officers. Officers were able to position themselves at the intersection of Alverstone and Rainier and waited for the suspect to drive through the intersection. The officers deployed a “Stop Stick,” a tool designed to puncture and deflate the tires of a suspect’s vehicle safely. As the suspect approached the intersection, he slowed down and attempted to drive around the Stop Stick but was unsuccessful. The suspect finally stopped driving after his front tires drove over the device.

The suspect continued to disobey officer’s instructions and refused to exit his vehicle. Officers eventually had to approach the suspect’s vehicle and they were able to take the suspect into custody using a minimal amount of force. The suspect, Leon Burton, was arrested and booked at the VC Jail.

Bank Robbery

On Sept. 25, at 8:40 am a white male wearing dark clothes walked into the Union Bank, 700 block S. Victoria Ave., approached the teller counter and said he had a gun and demanded money.  The tellers turned over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect, and the suspect fled from the bank.  Patrol officers responded to the call, however they did not locate the suspect.