Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Sobriety and Driver’s License Checkpoint
DATE/TIME:	Saturday, February 26, 2011 1800-0200
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Brian Woolley, Traffic Coordinator (805) 385-7749

DETAILS:

The Oxnard Police Department will be conducting a multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Saturday, February 26nd, 2011, from 6:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. The checkpoint will be held throughout the City of Oxnard and is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

So far this year, officers have made 130 DUI arrests in the City of Oxnard. In comparison to 2008, the Oxnard Police Department’s continued efforts in DUI enforcement have resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of alcohol related fatal collisions and an 8% reduction in injury collisions involving an impaired driver.

How to Report a Drunk Driver

1. Call 911 and tell them you wish to report a suspected drunk driver. **You do not have to give your name.
2. Give a complete description of the vehicle, such as make, model, color and license plate number.
3. Give the exact location of the vehicle, including the name of the road, cross streets and the direction they’re traveling.
4. Describe the manner in which the vehicle is being driven.
5. Do not try to stop the car or detain the driver. Leave that to a law enforcement officer.

Please buckle up, drive sober, and drive safely in 2011.

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at [email protected].

 

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Bank Robbery (Update)
DATE/TIME:	3-14-11/1310
LOCATION:	1700 E. Gonzales Rd. Oxnard, Ca.
VICTIM(S):	Wells Fargo Bank
SUSPECT(S):	White male, blue “LA” baseball cap, blue or black hooded sweat jacket, blue jeans, mustache and sunglasses approximately 45-50 years of age.
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	N/A
PREPARED BY:	Detective Charles Buttell (805) 385-7665 or [email protected]
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Steven Funk (805) 385-7796 or [email protected]

DETAILS: 

On 3-12-11 at approximately 10:15 am, officers responded to a bank robbery at the Wells Fargo Bank, located at 1700 E. Gonzales Road in Oxnard. Below is a photograph of the suspect. Investigators are seeking the public’s help in identify the suspect. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Steve Funk at (805) 385-7796 or Special Agent Patrick Conley of the FBI at (310) 629-9553. You may also leave a message on the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	DUI Saturation Patrol and Sobriety and Driver’s License Checkpoint
DATE/TIME:	Sunday, March 20, 2011 1400-2400
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Brian Woolley, Traffic Coordinator  (805) 385-7749

DETAILS:

The Oxnard Police Department will be conducting a multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Sunday, March 20, 2011, from 6:00 P.M. to midnight. The checkpoint will be held throughout the City of Oxnard and is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition to the checkpoint, several officers will be conducting a DUI saturation patrol before and during the checkpoint. Checkpoints are just one strategy used by the Oxnard Police Department to promote the public awareness of DUI enforcement and education. Saturation patrols are used as an aggressive approach to locate and arrest impaired drivers.

According to our statistics, there has been an increase in DUI related collisions occurring on Sundays. In 2010, the Oxnard Police Department investigated 56 DUI collisions on Sundays. So far in 2011, there have been 13 DUI related collisions on Sundays in the City of Oxnard. Five of those crashes alone occurred on Super Bowl Sunday. Two additional DUI collisions occurred this past Sunday with one of the impaired drivers colliding into a marked police car.

Oxnard Police Department DUI arrests by day of week, January 2010 to the present:

Sunday – 294
Monday – 98
Tuesday – 62
Wednesday – 74
Thursday – 85
Friday – 204
Saturday – 327

So far this year, Oxnard Police officers have arrested 179 drivers for DUI.

Please buckle up, drive sober, and drive safely in 2011.

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	211 P.C – Robbery (Handgun)
DATE/TIME:	06/07/2011, 0330 Hours
LOCATION:	Du-par’s Restaurant, 2420 North Vineyard Ave.
VICTIM(S):	Name withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Suspect- White male , approximately 35 years of age, 5’-7” 140 lbs. Blue eyes, Gray and black hooded sweatshirt with green shirt underneath, blue jeans and dirty white shoes, carrying a black colored handgun.
WITNESS(ES):	N/A
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	None.
LOSS:	Undetermined amount of cash.
PREPARED BY:	Detective Steve Funk (805) 385-7796 or [email protected]
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Steve Funk (805) 385-7796 or [email protected]

DETAILS:
 
On 06/07/2011 at approximately 0330 hours a white male subject entered the Du-par’s Restaurant and pointed a black handgun at the female employee who was standing next to the cash register. The subject demanded cash and the then fled the restaurant on foot in an unknown direction with the currency. There were no injuries during this incident and no witnesses have been identified. The Oxnard Police department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying this suspect as this Du-par’s restaurant was also robbed approximately 10 days earlier by a similar subject.

There have been a total of five robberies that have occurred to north end area Oxnard restaurants in the last three months. There were no injuries in any of the robberies to date.

We are asking patrons of restaurants in the north end of Oxnard to call the police immediately if they see suspicious subjects or vehicles loitering at restaurants especially in the areas of Vineyard Avenue and Esplanade Drive.

If you have any additional information regarding this incident or any other robberies in the north end of Oxnard, please contact Detective Steven Funk or you may also leave a message on the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Prostitution/Pimping Investigation
DATE/TIME:	7/21/11, 1500 hours
LOCATION:	100 block of South Hayes Avenue, Oxnard  13200 block of Filmore Street, Pacoima
SUSPECT(S):	Carlos Hernandez, 30 years (Oxnard resident)  Marianna Cervantes, 22 years (Los Angeles resident)  Esperanza Umana, 49 years (Pacoima resident)  Mariana Alvarez-Gallegos, 21 years (Pacoima resident)
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Greg Hebert
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	[email protected] Office 805-385-7636

DETAILS:

On 7/21/11, at about 1500 hours, officers from the Oxnard Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Los Angeles Police Department served two search warrants in the cities of Oxnard and Pacoima. The search warrants were the result of a four month investigation into a prostitution operation.

When officers entered the Hayes Avenue address, Hernandez and Cervantes were located inside. Officers found a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, several thousand dollars and paraphernalia related to prostitution. Hernandez was arrested for 266h (a) PC pimping, 236 PC false imprisonment, 236.1(a) PC human trafficking, 653.23(a) (1) PC supervising prostitution and several other misdemeanor charges. Cervantes was arrested for 647(b) PC prostitution. Hernandez was booked into Ventura County Jail on the above listed charges and an immigration hold with bail set at $100,000. Cervantes was booked into Ventura County Jail for 647 (b) PC and an immigration hold with bail set at $5,000.

When officers entered the Filmore Street address, Umana and Gallegos were located inside. Officers found a small amount of currency and paraphernalia related to prostitution. Umana and Gallegos were booked into Ventura County Jail under an immigration hold.

If you have any information related to these crimes, please contact Officer James Langford of the Oxnard Police Department at 805-385-7650. The investigation is ongoing.

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Sobriety and Driver’s License Checkpoint and DUI Saturation Results
DATE/TIME:	July 30, 2011 – 1800 to 0300
LOCATION:	Southbound Oxnard Bl. @ Glenwood Dr (1)  Southbound Victoria Av @ Gonzales Rd (2)  Southbound Oxnard Bl. @ Vineyard Av (3)
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Randy Latimer, Traffic Sergeant – 805-385-7847

DETAILS:

The Oxnard Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint followed-up by a DUI saturation patrol on Saturday, July 31, 2011, from 6:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. and arrested nine (9) drivers for DUI as a result of the heightened DUI prevention and enforcement effort.

The first checkpoint was conducted in the southbound lanes of Oxnard Bl. @ Glenwood Dr. The second and third checkpoints were held simultaneously; one in the southbound lanes of Victoria Av. @ Gonzales Road and the other in the southbound lanes of Oxnard Bl. @ Vineyard Av.

Officers screened 1016 motorists who passed through the checkpoint locations and conducted five (5) DUI investigations with drivers who had been drinking alcohol. Four (4) drivers who were screened by officers at the checkpoints were arrested for DUI. A female driver who entered the checkpoint was also arrested after she was found to have a suspended driver’s license. Upon further investigation, she was found to be in possession of narcotics and had an outstanding felony warrant. In addition to the four checkpoint DUI arrests, checkpoint officers arrested five (5) additional drivers for DUI as the officers conducted DUI saturation patrols during and after the checkpoints. One of the drivers was arrested after crashing his mini-van into a light pole. This driver had a blood alcohol level of over .18.

Citations were issued to 45 drivers for various drivers’ license violations at the checkpoint. Twenty-seven drivers were issued citations for driving without a valid driver’s license and two (2) drivers were cited for driving with a suspended driver’s license. Thirteen vehicles were towed from the checkpoints.

The Oxnard Police Department will conduct several more DUI enforcement operations this year. These DUI operations are an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes and to make our roadways and community safer. We also remind people that if they see an impaired driver to dial 911. These DUI enforcement operations are funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Transportation Administration.

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Sergeant Randy Latimer at (805) 385-7847 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Multi Location Search Warrant
DATE/TIME:	08/04/11 1500 Hours
LOCATION:	Various locations in the City of Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	State of California
SUSPECT(S):	S1-17 year old Oxnard resident  S2- Adam Martinez, 21 year old Oxnard resident  S3- Nester Garcia, 21 year old Oxnard resident
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Christopher Williams
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Mike Thomas (805) 385-7660 [email protected]

DETAILS:

On 8/3/11 and 8/4/11, members of the Oxnard Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit (VCU), with the assistance of other department personnel, served search warrants at four residences located in the City of Oxnard.

The search warrants were a result of two rival gangs committing several acts of felony graffiti vandalism in the city over a two day period. The Vandalism was in excess of 300 square feet, costing over $5,000 to clean.

Three assault rifles, a shotgun, a small quantity of drugs, over a thousand dollars in cash, and numerous items of gang paraphernalia were seized during the search warrants. Additionally, three people were also arrested for various charges. Adam Martinez, a 21 year old Oxnard resident, was charged with possession of illegal assault weapons, Nester Garcia, a 21 year old Oxnard resident, was arrested for narcotics sales, and a 17 year old Oxnard resident was arrested for failing to register as a gang member.