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.