OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	UPDATE: Stolen van found with dog inside unharmed
DATE/TIME:	Wednesday, 12/26/18, 12:00 p.m.
LOCATION:	2500 block of Ukiah Street, Port Hueneme
VICTIM(S):	Withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Unknown
VICTIM VEHICLE(S):	Blue, 2007, Honda Odyssey Minivan, Colorado license plate CMW693 (Recovered)
PREPARED BY:	Luis Mc Arthur, Commander [email protected] (805) 207-4762
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Enrique Alvarez, Senior Officer (805) 385-7664

UPDATE:

A man’s van that was stolen three days ago from St. John’s Hospital in Oxnard where his wife was being treated, was recovered and returned to the couple with their beloved puppy Scrappy inside.

On Wednesday, 12/26/18, at about noon, a resident reported the abandoned Odyssey van in the 2500 block of Ukiah Street in the City of Port Hueneme. Inside the van, Scrappy was found alive, although weak and dehydrated having spent what was assumed to be three days and nights inside the vehicle.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Stolen Vehicle Arrest
DATE/TIME:	December 25, 2018; 8:29 AM
LOCATION:	900 block of C Street, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	Withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Julio Cesar Lara, 55-year-old Oxnard Resident Rosalinda Pizano, 53-year-old Oxnard Resident
PREPARED BY:	Eduardo M. Miranda, Commander
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Eduardo M. Miranda, Commander [email protected] (808) 385-7771

DETAILS:

On December 25, 2018, at about 8:29 AM, an Oxnard Police Officer located an occupied stolen vehicle in the 900 block of S. C Street. A traffic stop was initiated and the driver yielded. The driver was identified as Julio Cesar Lara a 55-year-old Oxnard resident. He was arrested for the unlawful taking/driving of a motor vehicle (California Vehicle Code 10851), possession of stolen property (California Penal Code 496d (a)), possession of a methamphetamine pipe (California Health and Safety Code 11364), and possession of a stolen vehicle with prior stolen vehicle convictions (California Penal Code 666.5(a)).

The passenger, Rosalinda Pizano a 53-year-old Oxnard resident, was arrested for possession of stolen property (California Penal Code 496d(a)) and possession of an illegal medical prescription (California Business and Professions 4060).

Our city is currently experiencing a significant increase in stolen vehicles. To combat the problem, the Police Department is prioritizing taking a proactive comprehensive approach in the prevention, enforcement, and investigation of stolen vehicles.

A significant percentage of the stolen vehicles are preventable. The Oxnard Police Department would like to remind residents of the following tips to prevent a vehicle from being stolen:

•       Never leave your car unlocked, not even for a minute.
•       Never leave your keys in the car, even if you think they are really “hidden.”
•       Don’t leave your car idling and unattended because it is unnecessary (it doesn’t get cold enough here), it is unsafe, illegal, and someone can steal your car.
•       Wheel locks, brake pedal locks, and steering wheel locks are also effective.

If anyone has any information regarding stolen vehicles please contact Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.

Julio Cesar Lara Rosalinda Pizano

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 12/25/2018; 11:25 AM

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Robbery/Stabbing
DATE/TIME:	December 23, 2018, 5:38 P.M.
LOCATION:	200 block Cuesta Del Mar Drive, Oxnard
SUSPECT(S):	Three (3) Hispanic Males
PREPARED BY:	Brett A. Smith, Sergeant [email protected] (805) 797-7995
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Brett A. Smith, Sergeant [email protected] (805) 797-7995

DETAILS:

On December 23, 2108, officers were dispatched to 241 Chester Way regarding a stabbing victim in the middle of the roadway. Officers located the victim who was immediately taken to a local hospital and rushed into emergency surgery. The victim suffered from a stab wound to the neck and is currently listed in critical/unstable condition. Officers learned of a second robbery victim (Not Injured) who may have been robbed by the same three (3) subjects. The Oxnard Violent Crimes Unit responded to scene to further investigate the circumstances surrendering the robberies. The investigation is ongoing

Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You also have the option of reporting it online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website: www.oxnardpd.org, and clicking on Report Suspicious Activity. In every case you can remain anonymous if you choose to do so.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 24, 2018 / 1115 hours

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Documented Gang Member / Prohibited Person Arrested with Loaded Handgun
DATE/TIME:	December 23, 2018 / 11:34 p.m.
LOCATION:	Oxnard Blvd. at Glenwood
VICTIM(S):	State of California
SUSPECT(S):	Mario Diaz, 23-year-old, Oxnard resident
PREPARED BY:	Bakari Myers, Sergeant [email protected] 805-385-777
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Christopher Williams, Commander [email protected] 805-207-7234

DETAILS:

On December 23, at approximately 11:34 p.m., officers from the Special Enforcement Unit (gang unit) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at Oxnard Blvd. and Glenwood reference a vehicle code infraction. Upon making contact with the occupants, officers discovered that a rear passenger, suspect Mario Diaz, was in possession of a loaded handgun. Diaz is a documented criminal street gang member and one of his probation terms specifically states he is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition, making this arrest a felony.

The Oxnard Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit is committed to reducing gang crimes and gun violence in the City of Oxnard through the strict enforcement of laws specifically targeting known, active gang members residing in the city. Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or you can remain anonymous by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 24, 2018 / 0050 hours

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:

Commercial Burglary/ Stolen Vehicle Arrest

DATE/TIME:

December 23, 2018; 14:59 p.m.

LOCATION:

Home Depot, 401 West Esplanade Drive, Oxnard

VICTIM(S):

Magic Auto Center (Ventura, CA)/ The Home Depot

SUSPECT(S):

Roberto Rivera, 39 years, Oxnard resident

Azalea Pedro, 22 years, Oxnard resident

PREPARED BY:

Edgar Fernandez, Sergeant

CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:

[email protected]

(805) 385-7600

DETAILS:

On December 23, 2018, at approximately 3:00 p.m., Oxnard Police Officers were dispatched to a call of subjects stealing property from The Home Depot store in Oxnard. Upon arrival, officers determined that the suspects attempted to steal power tools and other items from the store. The suspects were confronted by store employees outside of the business and fled prior to officer arrival.

Responding officers located the vehicle occupied by the suspects and parked in a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was determined to be stolen. The suspects, Roberto Rivera, a 39 year old, Oxnard resident and Azalea Pedro, a 22 year old, Oxnard resident were arrested without incident. Both suspects were charged with commercial burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime and possession/ operating a stolen vehicle. Rivera was also found to be on parole and had an outstanding warrant issued for his arrest.

A significant percentage of the stolen vehicles are preventable. The Oxnard Police Department would like to remind residents of the following tips to prevent a vehicle from being stolen:

Never leave a vehicle unlocked or unsecured
Never leave keys in a car, even if they are hidden
Never leave a car idling and unattended. It is unnecessary, unsafe, illegal, and at risk of being stolen
Wheel locks, brake pedal locks, and steering wheel locks can also be effective in reducing vehicle thefts

If anyone has any information regarding this case, they are asked to contact Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 12/23/18; 5:30 p.m.

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:

Stolen Vehicle with Dog Inside

DATE/TIME:

12/23/18, 1:27 p.m.

LOCATION:

Saint John’s Hospital

1600 N. Rose Ave, Oxnard

VICTIM(S):

Withheld

SUSPECT(S):

Unknown

VICTIM VEHICLE(S):

Blue, 2007, Honda Odyssey Minivan, Colorado license plate CMW693

PREPARED BY:

Robin Whitney, Commander

CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:

Robin Whitney, Commander

(805) 385-7746

DETAILS:

On 12/23/18, at around 1:30 p.m., the Oxnard Police Department received a call of a stolen vehicle from the parking lot of Saint John’s Hospital in Oxnard. The owner reported that earlier this date, at around 10:30 a.m., he parked his vehicle in the hospital parking lot and entered the facility to visit a patient. The owner left his puppy in the vehicle, with the doors secured and windows slightly ajar. At around 12:30 p.m., the owner returned to the parking lot to check on his puppy, when he realized vehicle was missing, along with the puppy, described as a 7-month-old light brown beagle/terrier/ chihuahua mix.

A significant percentage of the stolen vehicles are preventable. The Oxnard Police Department would like to remind residents of the following tips to prevent a vehicle from being stolen:

Never leave a vehicle unlocked or unsecured· Never leave keys in a car, even if they are hidden
Never leave a car idling and unattended. It is unnecessary, unsafe, illegal, and at risk of being stolen
Wheel locks, brake pedal locks, and steering wheel locks can also be effective in reducing vehicle thefts

If anyone has any information regarding this case, they are asked to contact Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 12/23/201

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint Results
DATE/TIME:	December 22, 2018, 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Ricardo Vazquez, Sergeant
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Paul Knapp, Senior Officer (805) 385-7749 [email protected]

DETAILS:

DUI Checkpoint Nets One Arrest

The Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit arrested one impaired driver while conducting a DUI/Driver’s license checkpoint on December 22, 2018. The checkpoint was conducted at Oxnard Boulevard south of Esplanade Drive between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., resulting in the following:

1916 vehicles screened
One DUI-alcohol suspect arrested
15 drivers cited for operating a vehicle unlicensed or while suspended/revoked
21 citations issued
One vehicle towed

Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. Oxnard PD supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

Studies of California drivers have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

Oxnard PD offers these reminders to ensure a fun night doesn’t get spoiled with a DUI:

Decide before you go out whether you plan to drink or drive. You can’t do both.
If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver before going out, or map out another way to get home safely by taking a cab, ride-share services like Uber or Lyft, or using public transportation. You can also look up designated driver services in your area using the National Directory of Designated Driver Services (NDDDS).
If you are a designated driver, bars and restaurants statewide have created non-alcoholic specialty drinks (“DDrinks”) for sober drivers: http://bit.ly/OTSDDrinks
If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, call 911. Offer a description of the vehicle, location, and direction of travel.
See your friend or other patron impaired trying to get behind the wheel? Take the keys or help them make other arrangements to get where they are going safely.

Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be approximately $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension, and other expenses not to mention possible jail time.

The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Whether by bike, car, motorcycle, or walking, the Oxnard Police Department encourages everyone to be a part of the solution and ‘Go Safely California.’

DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 23, 2018 / 3:15 a.m.

INCIDENT:

Firearm Arrest.

DATE/TIME:

12/22/18, 7:25PM

LOCATION:

Alleyway in the 2700 block of El Dorado Avenue

VICTIM(S):

N/A

SUSPECT(S):

Martin Contreras, 27 year old Oxnard resident

PREPARED BY:

Commander Kevin Baysinger

CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:

Commander Kevin Baysinger

[email protected]

805-385-7771

DETAILS:

On December 22, 2018 at about 7:25PM, Officers were dispatched to alleyway of the 2700 block of El Dorado Avenue reference subjects drinking and disturbing. Upon arrival Officers detained several subjects near a vehicle. Officers observed ammunition inside the vehicle. Upon a search of the vehicle, Officers located a loaded 9mm handgun with a 12 round magazine and one round in the chamber.

Martin Contreras, a 27 year old Oxnard resident, was arrested for possessing a stolen, loaded firearm with high a capacity magazine, while in a vehicle.

If anyone has any information regarding this incident, they are encouraged to call the Oxnard Police Department or Ventura County Crime Stoppers, 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). You can also visit this site www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit at tip via text or email.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 22, 2018 / 9:30PM

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:

Barricaded Subject Arrested for Setting Fire Inside Residential Garage

DATE/TIME:

December 20, 2018 / 1920 hours

LOCATION:

4600 Block Anchorage Street

VICTIM(S):

Withheld

SUSPECT:

Genoro Lopez, 30 year old, Oxnard Resident

PREPARED BY:

Brian Woolley, Sergeant

CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:

Sergeant Brian Woolley

[email protected]

(805) 385-7600

DETAILS:

On December 20, 2018, at approximately 7:20 p.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to the 4600 block of Anchorage Street in reference to a suspicious male subject in possession of a metal pipe and attempting to force entry into the caller’s residence.

When officers arrived, they observed suspect Genoro Lopez, a 38 year old male, in the middle of the street and still in possession of the metal pipe. Lopez immediately disobeyed verbal orders given by the officers and ran from them to a home across the street where he entered a garage. Once in the garage, Lopez barricaded himself and began to set fire to several items inside.

Several additional officers, including members of the department’s Special Enforcement Unit, were summoned to the scene as were firefighters from the Oxnard Fire Department. Officers successfully evacuated an adult female and two children from the home on the property while other officers attempted to contact Lopez while he was in the garage.

Lopez remained in the garage for the next several minutes, refused to comply with officers while setting fire to additional items in the garage. Officers were able to force open the garage window and extinguish the flames with water. After almost 90 minutes, Lopez suddenly emerged from the garage and fled into the rear yard of the residence where he was quickly apprehended by officers.

Lopez was transported from the scene to Saint John’s Regional Medical Center where he was treated for the minor injuries he sustained from less lethal devices used during the incident. During the investigation, officers also learned that Lopez had made entry into the rear yard of the original caller’s residence after forcing his way through a locked side gate prior to the arrival of officers.

Lopez was arrested for arson, vandalism and resisting arrest.

Residents are encouraged to be “Partners in Public Safety” and are reminded to report suspicious activity to police. Residents can report anonymously and translators are available 24/7. Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7740 or the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 and www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org

DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 21, 2018 / 0100 hours

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Wanted Subject Leads Oxnard Police on a Pursuit
DATE/TIME:	12/19/18 @ 11:14 a.m.
LOCATION:	4500 block of South “G” Street
SUSPECT(S):	James Prizzi, 47 years old
PREPARED BY:	Crystal Walker, Detective
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Enrique Alvarez, Detective (805) 385-7664 or [email protected]

DETAILS:

On 12/19/18 at approximately 11:14 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department received information that a recently stolen vehicle was in the area of Hueneme Road. The Oxnard Police Department Auto Theft Task Force responded to the area and found the grey, 2008, Honda Accord driving in the 600 block of Hueneme Road. The vehicle was followed into the parking lot of the Playa Inn Motel and parked. The driver of the stolen vehicle observed the officers approaching and began to flee in the vehicle. As the vehicle accelerated out of the parking lot it struck a planter which caused it to land onto “J” Street. As officers pursued the vehicle, it fled onto northbound “J” Street toward the residential neighborhood.

The driver, later identified as James Prizzi, 47 years old, accelerated to speeds in excess of 65 mph and therefore out of an abundance of caution, the pursuit was cancelled. A few minutes later, Prizzi abandoned the vehicle in the 4500 block of South “G” Street. During a subsequent search of the area, a resident called 9-1-1 and advised that they believed that someone might be hiding inside a bedroom. With the assistance of a police K9, Prizzi was located in a closet and was taken into custody.

Prizzi is being charged with vehicle theft, possession of stolen property (vehicle), burglary, felony evading and outstanding felony warrants. Prizzi has a long criminal history which includes robbery, multiple vehicle thefts, possession of burglary tools, assault with a deadly weapon, fraud and narcotics arrests. Due to the gravity of the charges and his past history, a bail increase was completed.

The Oxnard Police Department has been focused on extensive public engagement and community outreach, encouraging residents to be “Partners in Public Safety.” Residents are reminded and encouraged to report any and all suspicious activity to police, and can do so anonymously, with translators available 24 hours a day. Anyone with information regarding criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7740 or the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 and www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 12/19/18 @ 4:30 p.m.