NEWS RELEASE

 

DATE:           October 4, 2023

SUBJECT:    2024 Grant Kick-Off

CONTACT:   Mike Gens, Sergeant

                        (805) 385-7847 (Tue-Fri 7AM-5PM) | michael.gens@oxnardpd.org

 

Oxnard Police Department Awarded Grant from the Office of Traffic Safety for Traffic Enforcement Program to Increase Safety on Roads

 

Oxnard, Calif. – The Oxnard Police Department was awarded a $533,000.00 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant will support our ongoing enforcement and education programs to help reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads.

 

Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benites stated, “Improving traffic safety in our city continues to be a priority for our department. We must continue the work to keep Oxnard’s drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians safe on our roadways. This grant award will help us increase our efforts, using education and enforcement, to help make our streets safer for our community. We will especially focus on critical factors such as distracted driving, impaired driving, and speeding violations.” 

 

The grant will provide additional programs and resources, including:

·         DUI checkpoints and patrols focused on stopping suspected impaired drivers.

·         High-visibility distracted driving enforcement operations targeting drivers in violation of California’s hands-free cell phone law.

·         Enforcement operations focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk.

·         Enforcement operations focused on top violations that cause crashes: speeding, failure to yield, stop sign and/or red-light running, and improper turning or lane changes.

·         Community presentations on traffic safety issues such as distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding and bicycle and pedestrian safety.

·         Collaborative enforcement efforts with neighboring agencies.

·         Officer training and/or recertification: Standard Field Sobriety Test (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE).

 

The grant program will run through September 2024.

 

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

   NEWS RELEASE

 

DATE:           September 28, 2023, at 12:00 P.M.

SUBJECT:    Suspect Arrested for Murder

LOCATION: 700 block of Cooper Road, Oxnard           

VICTIM:       Oscar Rodriguez, 44-year-old Oxnard Resident

SUSPECT:    Omar Romo, 34-year-old Oxnard Resident

CONTACT:  Jess Aragon, Sergeant

                        (805) 385-7632

                        Monday – Thursday 7:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

                       | jess.aragon@oxnardpd.org

On July 12, 2023, at 1:14 A.M., Officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to the call of a shooting victim in the north alley of the 700 block of Cooper Road. When officers arrived, they located a 44-year-old male, later identified as Oscar Rodriguez, suffering from several gunshot wounds. Officers began life-saving measures. Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived and transported Rodriguez to the Ventura County Medical Center.

Unfortunately, despite life-saving measures at the hospital, Rodriguez succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The Oxnard Police Department Major Crimes Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation.

After an eleven week-long investigation, investigators were able to obtain sufficient evidence that identified Omar Romo as the person responsible for the murder of Oscar Rodriguez. This was through the hard work of investigators from the Oxnard Police Department’s Investigation Services Bureau and officers assigned to the Special Enforcement Unit.

 

On September 28, 2023, at about 12:00 P.M., investigators from the Oxnard Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit arrested Omar Romo for the murder of Oscar Rodriguez. At the time of the arrest, Romo was in custody at the Ventura County Main Jail on unrelated charges. He is being held on a two-million-dollar bail for the charge of murder. 

Investigators are still seeking any further information regarding this incident and are encouraging anyone who may have heard or seen anything to contact Detective Meagan Tobey at (805) 385-7755.  Also, 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. You can also 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: 9/28/23, 12:00 P.M.