Protecting Our Community With Exceptional Service
NEWS RELEASE
DATE: March 6, 2024
SUBJECT: Colonia Structure Fire
LOCATION: 245 East Colonia Road, Oxnard CA
On March 6, 2024, at approximately 10:28 P.M., Public Safety Dispatchers received calls reporting a structure fire at 245 East Colonia Road in the City of Oxnard, California.
The Oxnard Fire Department responded to the scene, with assistance from the Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura City Fire, and the Naval Base’s Federal Fire Ventura County.
At the time of this news release, the fire is ongoing, but has been contained to the structure at 245 East Colonia Road. There are no reported injuries from emergency personnel.
Street traffic is closed on Oxnard Boulevard in both directions – from Roderick Avenue to 2nd Street. Colonia Road is closed from Oxnard Blvd to Hayes Avenue. Railway traffic in the area is also closed. The anticipated re-opening of these means of transportation are to-be-determined – possibly after noon Wednesday, March 6th. Community members are encouraged to plan on transportation through alternate routes, avoiding the area until further notice.
There is no information regarding injuries to local residents or regarding the cause of the fire available at this time. Updated information will be released as soon as it is available.
The Shelter In Place Order and Real-Time Incident Dashboard for this event accessed at: www.vcemergency.com
Southern California Edison has responded to the area. Updates on power outages are available at https://www.sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status .
MEDIA CONTACT : Oxnard Fire Battalion Chief Stephen McNaughton – stephen.mcnaughten@oxnard.org , (805) 814 – 1066
NEWS RELEASE (03/06/24 02:45 A.M.) PREPARED BY : Oxnard Police Department Community Affairs Manager Paul Carganilla – paul.carganilla@oxnardpd.org , (805) 385 – 7631
NEWS RELEASE
DATE: March 6, 2024
SUBJECT: Colonia Structure Fire
LOCATION: 245 East Colonia Road, Oxnard CA
On March 6, 2024, at approximately 10:28 P.M., Public Safety Dispatchers received calls reporting a structure fire at 245 East Colonia Road in the City of Oxnard, California.
The Oxnard Fire Department responded to the scene, with assistance from the Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura City Fire, and the Naval Base’s Federal Fire Ventura County.
At the time of this news release, the fire is ongoing, but has been contained to the structure at 245 East Colonia Road. There are no reported injuries from emergency personnel.
Street traffic is closed on Oxnard Boulevard in both directions – from Roderick Avenue to 2nd Street. Colonia Road is closed from Oxnard Blvd to Hayes Avenue. Railway traffic in the area is also closed. The anticipated re-opening of these means of transportation are to-be-determined – possibly after noon Wednesday, March 6th. Community members are encouraged to plan on transportation through alternate routes, avoiding the area until further notice.
There is no information regarding injuries to local residents or regarding the cause of the fire available at this time. Updated information will be released as soon as it is available.
The Shelter In Place Order and Real-Time Incident Dashboard for this event accessed at: www.vcemergency.com
Southern California Edison has responded to the area. Updates on power outages are available at https://www.sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status .
MEDIA CONTACT : Oxnard Fire Battalion Chief Stephen McNaughton – stephen.mcnaughten@oxnard.org , (805) 814 – 1066
NEWS RELEASE (03/06/24 02:45 A.M.) PREPARED BY : Oxnard Police Department Community Affairs Manager Paul Carganilla – paul.carganilla@oxnardpd.org , (805) 385 – 7631
Oxnard police officers are on scene of an injury traffic collision on Rose Avenue north of Fifth Street in the northbound lanes. Northbound traffic on Rose has been diverted at Fifth Street. Southbound Rose Avenue traffic is diverted at Eastman Avenue.Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes until the scene is reopened. We will advise once it is reopened.Cmdr. Baysinger
NEWS RELEASE
DATE/TIME: March 4, 2024 / 11:34PM
SUBJECT: Firearm Arrest
SUSPECT: Oscar Rojas, 19-year-old Oxnard resident
LOCATION: Olds Road at Walden Street, Oxnard
CONTACT: Kevin Baysinger, Commander
Kevin.Baysinger@OxnardPD.org
(805) 385-7746 (Sun-Wed 4PM-2AM)
On the above date and time, Oxnard Police Officers were patrolling the above area when an officer observed Rojas vandalizing the alleyway. Rojas entered a vehicle and began to leave the area; officers conducted an enforcement stop on the vehicle and contacted Rojas in the passenger’s seat. Officers located a concealed loaded firearm on Rojas. He was arrested for firearms violations and vandalism.
Anyone with information regarding this case or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website: www.oxnardpd.org, and clicking on “Report Suspicious Activity.” You can remain anonymous if you choose to do so by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800)222-8477. You can also visit their website: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.
DATE: March 4, 2024
SUBJECT: Fatal traffic collision involving a pedestrian
LOCATION: Rose Avenue at Fifth Street
DRIVER: Miguel Garcia Ruiz, Oxnard Resident
VEHICLE: 2003 Ford F-250
PEDESTRIAN: 73-year-old Oxnard Resident, name withheld pending next of kin notification
CONTACT: Alexis Arellano, Traffic Investigator
(805) 200-5668 (Mon-Thu 7AM-5PM) | alexis.arellano@oxnardpd.org
On March 4, 2024, at approximately 6:16 p.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to a traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian that occurred near the intersection of Rose Avenue and Fifth Street. The pedestrian, a 73-year-old resident of Oxnard, sustained major injuries and was transported to a hospital. He was pronounced deceased a short time later. The driver of the vehicle, Miguel Garcia Ruiz, also of Oxnard, remained on scene and was uninjured.
Based on the initial investigation, it was determined that Garcia Ruiz was driving northbound Rose Avenue when he struck the pedestrian, who had been crossing Rose Avenue, north of Fifth Street. Investigators did not believe that speed, alcohol and/or drugs were contributing factors to the collision. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who has information regarding this collision is urged to contact Traffic Investigator Alexis Arellano at (805)200-5668 or via email at alexis.arellano@oxnardpd.org.
NEWS RELEASE
DATE: March 2, 2024 / 7:10 P.M.
SUBJECT: Shooting Victim
LOCATION: First Street at Lupita Street, Oxnard
VICTIM: 34-year-old Male, Oxnard Resident
CONTACT: Scott Coe, Violent Crimes Unit Sergeant
(805) 486-6211 | scott.coe@oxnardpd.org (after hours)
On March 2, 2024, at approximately 7:10 P.M., Oxnard Police Officers were in the area of First Street and Lupita Street, near Colonia Park, where they located a 34-year-old male victim lying on the corner suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. The victim was transported to the Ventura County Medical Center, where he is listed in stable condition. Officers located several spent shell casings at the scene and two parked vehicles struck by gunfire. The suspect(s) fled the scene following the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Violent Crimes Unit Sergeant Scott Coe at 805-486-6211 or scott.coe@oxnardpd.org.
Information can be reported online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website: www.oxnardpd.org, and click on “Report Suspicious Activity.” You can remain anonymous and still provide valuable information by calling Ventura Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.
NEWS RELEASE
DATE: February 29, 2024
SUBJECT: Stabbing Victim
LOCATION: North Alley 500 Block Cooper Road, Oxnard
VICTIM: 22-Year-Old Male Oxnard Resident
CONTACT: Detective Greg Utter
(805) 486-6297 (Tues-Fri 7 AM – 5 PM) greg.utter@oxnardpd.org
On February 29, 2024, at approximately 8:35 PM, Oxnard Police Officers responded to the north alley of the 500 block of Cooper Road in the city of Oxnard regarding a report of a stabbing victim. Officers located the victim, a 22-year-old male, suffering from multiple stab wounds in the torso. The victim was transported to Ventura County Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery and is listed in critical condition.
Officers located evidence of the assault at the scene. A motive for the stabbing is unknown at this time.
Investigators from the Oxnard Police Department Violent Crimes Unit assumed responsibility for the investigation. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact Detective Greg Utter at 805-486-6297 or by email at greg.utter@oxnardpd.org
Information can be reported online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website: www.oxnardpd.org, and click on “Report Suspicious Activity.” You can remain anonymous and still provide valuable information by calling Ventura Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.
NEWS RELEASE
DETAILS:
The City of Oxnard participates in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. For five (5) decades, the Oxnard Police Department (OPD) has contributed data under the UCR Program’s traditional Summary Reporting System (SRS). The FBI has since retired the SRS and transitioned to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for data collection. NIBRS represents a substantial shift in how the Oxnard Police Department reports crime.
The Oxnard Police Department began reporting NIBRS-compliant crime data on November 15th, 2022. NIBRS is viewed as a more comprehensive reporting system than the SRS. NIBRS goes much deeper to provide circumstances and context for crimes, providing a more detailed understanding of crime patterns and helping law enforcement make informed decisions about crime prevention and public safety.
Due to the change in reporting standards, comparing crime data collected under NIBRS to prior years’ data collected under SRS is not advisable. Apparent increases in crime are not necessarily attributable to actual increases in crime but may reflect changes in how crime is categorized and reported.
The public should be aware of a few of the crucial differences between the two reporting systems that will affect the overall crime counts compared to prior years:
More offenses may be reported per incident. SRS operated under a hierarchy rule in which only the most serious offense in an incident was reported. NIBRS allows for the reporting of multiple offenses within the same incident (up to 10).
More types of offenses are collected. SRS data collection was limited to eight (8) index crimes, known as the Part 1 Schedule. NIBRS collects data on an expanded set of 24 index crimes (52 offenses in total) known as the Group A Schedule.
More crime categories. SRS categorized crimes as Violent Crimes and Property Crimes. NIBRS collects data on Crimes against Persons, Crimes against Property, and an added third category, Crimes Against Society.
The table below contains UCR crimes reported in 2023 under the NIBRS Group A Schedule:
Violent Crime
There were seven (7) homicides in 2023, two (2) less than the previous year. Oxnard’s 2023 homicide clearance rate was 43%, all of which were cleared by arrests. The supplemental report to this news release lists a more detailed explanation.
Violent crime saw an increase in robberies of 17.2%. Despite the increase, Oxnard’s reported robberies remain 6% lower than the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, which saw a reported 275 crimes.
Additionally, there was an overall decrease of 31.6% in domestic violence-related offenses in 2023 as compared to the previous year. Though domestic violence offenses do not have their own UCR category, we have included Oxnard’s statistics:
Property Crime
When accounting for the reporting differences between NIBRS and SRS, Property crimes saw a 16.2% decrease in Burglary / Breaking and Entering and an 11.9% decrease in Arson. Motor vehicle theft increased by 9.2%, while Larceny / Theft Offenses reduced by 1.1%.
DATE / TIME PREPARED: February 23, 2024, 2 PM