Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Robbery
DATE/TIME:	1-3-11/0130 hours
LOCATION:	Burger King – 2001 N. Oxnard Boulevard Oxnard, Ca.
VICTIM(S):	V-1 Julio Torres – 33 years V-2 Luis Mendez – 21 years
SUSPECT(S):	S-1 – W, M, 20-24 years of age, 5’8” tall, thin build wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray shorts. S-2 – H, M, 24-25 years of age, 6’00-6’02” tall, heavy build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, and blue pants.
WITNESS(ES):	None
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	None
LOSS:	Undisclosed amount of currency.
PREPARED BY:	Detective Chip Buttell
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Chip Buttell – 805-385-7665 [email protected]

DETAILS:

On 1-3-11 at approximately 0140 hours, officers from the Oxnard Police Department were dispatched to a robbery at the Burger King Restaurant located at 2001 N. Oxnard Boulevard. Officers arrived and contacted the victims who had been robbed by two subjects. One of the victims fled the restaurant during the robbery to call the police.

The suspects entered the business in possession of weapons. The suspects demanded money from the victim. The victim handed the money from the registers to the suspects and they fled the business on foot.

Anyone who witnessed the robbery or that has information is urged to contact Detective Charles Buttell at 805-385-7665 or you may leave a message on the Violent Crimes Hotline at 805-982-7070. To give an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

An investigation is continuing.

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Robbery with a Knife
DATE/TIME:	January 28, 2011 @ 1726 hours
LOCATION:	Victoria Ave. and Wooley Rd.
VICTIM(S):	Juvenile, 15 years of age/Name Withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Hispanic male juveniles both 16 years of age/ Names withheld
PROPERTY:	Cell phone
PREPARED BY:	Detective Steven Funk
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Steven Funk 805-385-7796 or [email protected]

DETAILS:

On January 28th, at approx. 5:26 P.M., Oxnard Police Officers were called to the area of Victoria Ave. and Wooley Road reference a robbery with a knife. Upon their arrival, they found that the juvenile victim had been confronted by two suspects while he was seated at the bus bench. The two suspects approached the victim and demanded his cell phone. One suspect was holding a knife as the other suspect grabbed the victim’s cell phone from his hands. Both suspects fled eastbound on Wooley Road towards Offshore Street.

Several witnesses who observed the robbery started chasing the suspects. One suspect was arrested a short distance away without incident. The second suspect, who was later identified, was arrested at his residence several hours later.

The victim did not sustain any injuries during the robbery.

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:	Graffiti Vandalism/ Gun Possession
DATE/TIME:	Wednesday, April 13, 2011/ 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION:	Mariposa Street at Camelia Street
VICTIM(S):	State of California
SUSPECT(S):	Justin DeSantiago, 22 year old Oxnard resident Jonathan Griggs, 19 year old Ventura resident
LOSS:	Over $400 in damage
PREPARED BY:	Detective Mike Thomas
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Mike Thomas, Detective 805-385-7660 [email protected]

DETAILS:

On April 13, 2011 at approximately 2100 hours, officers were dispatched to Mariposa and Camelia Street in regards to two subjects spray painting in the area. When officers arrived, the two subjects fled and officers observed one of the subjects discard a loaded firearm and a spray can. Both subjects were taken into custody without further incident. The subjects were identified as Justin DeSantiago and Jonathan Griggs.

The Oxnard Police Department wants to remind residents of the dangers involved with graffiti vandalism. It is not a simple crime of writing on the wall. Graffiti vandals will often arm themselves with weapons similar to gang members. Do not attempt to contact a suspect that is tagging. Be a good witness and call 911. Provide a detailed description of the suspect and any vehicles involved to assist officers in locating them.

The City of Oxnard spends over a million dollars a years to clean graffiti vandalism. The City of Oxnard has teamed up in the fight against graffiti vandalism with the Ventura County Probation Agency and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Oxnard’s zero tolerance approach to dealing with graffiti vandals stems from the costly frustration of trying to keep our community free of illegal graffiti and to encourage our young people to find a productive use of their time. The City of Oxnard has a multifaceted campaign to stop illegal graffiti. Our three-pronged approach addresses prevention, intervention and enforcement methods to discourage and eliminate graffiti vandalism.

If you have information which will aid in the arrest of a graffiti vandal contact an Oxnard Police Department Graffiti Detective or call Crime Stoppers at 385-TALK (385-8255) and you may be awarded up to $1000 for an anonymous tip. To report in progress graffiti vandalism, call 911. Please call G.A.P (Graffiti Action Program) at 385-8010 to report graffiti that needs to be cleaned up.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Assault With A Deadly Weapon and Robbery
DATE/TIME:	05/30/2011 1930 hours
LOCATION:	4700 block Terrace Avenue
VICTIM(S):	Name Withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Five Hispanic males, 17-18 years, with a light complexion
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	Newer gray Toyota sedan with paper plates
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Alex Rangel
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Sergeant Christopher Williams (805) 486-6211 or [email protected]

DETAILS:

On 05/30/2011 at approximately 1930 hours the victim, an 18 year old male, was walking in the 4700 block of Terrace Avenue when he noticed a gray newer model four door Toyota sedan with paper plates following him. Minutes later, the Toyota stopped and the occupants of the vehicle got out and began to batter the victim.

During the incident the victim’s baseball hat was taken and he received injuries to various parts of his body. The victim was transported to Ventura County Medical Center for treatment.

An investigation is continuing.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Attempted Commercial Robbery with a knife
DATE/TIME:	7/11/2011 @ 1319 hours
LOCATION:	Thrifty Gas Station 1501 W. Gonzales Road, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	Name withheld
SUSPECT(S):	Hispanic male, approximately 35 years of age, 5’-7”, 185 lbs, short black hair, wearing a white long sleeved shirt, holding a small pocket knife
WITNESS(ES):	None
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	None
LOSS:	None
PREPARED BY:	Detective Steven Funk 805-385-7796 or [email protected]
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Steven Funk 805-385-7796 or [email protected]

DETAILS:

On 7-11-2011 @ approximately 1319 hours officers from the Oxnard Police Department were dispatched to a robbery that had just occurred at the Thrifty Gas Station located at 1501 W. Gonzales Road. The suspect entered the gas station and pulled out a knife demanding the cashier open the cash register. The cashier was unable to open the register as an area power outage had just occurred. The suspect was last seen walking away from the gas station, north bound towards Azalea Street.

The cashier was not injured during the robbery. Officers checked the area for the suspect but were unable to locate him.

If you have any additional information regarding this incident, 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

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Multiple hit and run suspect arrested after pursuit
DATE/TIME:	10-30-2011 at 4:40 p.m.
LOCATION:	Rose Ave. north of Gonzales Rd.
VICTIM(S):
SUSPECT(S):	Servando Mendez, 45 years, of Oxnard
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	Green Nissan Altima
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Tom Chronister, Commander
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Ohad Katzman, Police Officer II 805-385-7600 or [email protected]

DETAILS: Oxnard police were dispatched to a call of a hit and run in the area of Rose Ave. and Gonzales Rd. As officers arrived, they found three separate collision scenes in the area along Rose Ave. north of Gonzales Rd. to the US-101 freeway. Bystanders pointed out the suspect vehicle as it fled northbound on Rose Ave.

Officer Ohad Katzman attempted to stop the suspect vehicle but the driver fled over the 101 freeway overpass to Auto Center Drive where Officer Katzman initiated a pursuit of the vehicle by activating red lights and siren. Speeds reached 60 mph as the driver fled eastbound on Auto Center Drive.

Suddenly, the suspect vehicle’s hood flew open, blocking the driver’s view out the windshield. Officer Katzman immediately discontinued his pursuit. The driver, Servando Mendez, lost control of his car and collided with a Chevrolet Astrovan near the intersection of Auto Center Drive and Paseo Mercado. At this point—the location of the fourth crash—Mendez’s vehicle was rendered inoperable and he was taken into custody without further incident.

Two passengers in the Atrovan sustained minor injuries and did not require ambulance transport or treatment. Mendez was transported to a local hospital for a medical clearance prior to being booked into the Ventura County Jail on the following charges:

Felony drunk driving
Three counts of misdemeanor hit and run
Felony evading of a police officer with willful disregard for the safety of others

Mendez’s blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit. His bail stands at $50,000.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 10-30-2011 at 9:45 p.m.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Shooting
DATE/TIME:	10/28/11, 11:20 a.m.
LOCATION:	Eddie’s Recycling, 1610 Pine Street
VICTIM(S):
SUSPECT(S):	H,M, Black Bandana, Blue Checkered Shorts, Dark Pants, 5′ 10″ 210 lbs
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):	Red Mini -Van
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Sgt. Robin Whitney
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Oxnard Police Department Watch Commander 385-7746

DETAILS:
The victims went to the above business to sell back some recycled goods. They parked their vehicle on a driveway at the business. The above described suspect appeared in the north alley of Pine Street, displayed some gang signs with his hands, removed a firearm from his person, and discharged multiple rounds at the victims while they were inside their vehicle. The vehicle was hit multiple times however, the victims were not injured by gunfire. The suspect is believed to have entered a red mini-van and fled eastbound through the north alley of Pine Street.

An investigation is continuing. The incident is believed to be gang related. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jeff Long at 486-6228.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT	Murder suspect arrested
DATE/TIME	December 16, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
LOCATION	800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura
VICTIM(S)	Steven Proefrock, 51, Oxnard resident
SUSPECT	Dominic Pinkard, 31, Oxnard resident
PREPARED BY	Detective Bakari Myers (805) 385-7686 [email protected]
CONTACT	Mónica Muñoz Community Affairs Manager / PIO (805) 385-7631 [email protected]

On January 3, 2011, Oxnard police officers responded to a call of a family dispute at 300 Lafayette Drive. Officers arrived on scene and located the victim, Steven Proefrock, who was suffering from severe head injuries. Proefrock was taken to Ventura County Medical Center where he was placed on life support. Proefrock was eventually transferred to a long-term care facility in Santa Barbara where he remained until his death in September 2011.

The Santa Barbara coroner reviewed Proefrock’s medical records and determined that he died as a result of the injuries he sustained in January. Oxnard PD investigators identified Dominic Pinkard as the suspect who was responsible for Proefrock’s injuries. On December 16 Oxnard investigators arrested Pinkard for Proefrock’s murder. Pinkard was already in custody at the Ventura County jail on unrelated charges.

No additional information related to this investigation will be released at this time as the investigation is continuing.

If anyone has any information about this incident, they are encouraged to call Oxnard PD at (805) 385-7740 or Detective Bakari Myers at (805) 385-7686. If you wish to remain anonymous you may call the violent crimes hotline at (805) 982-7070 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or email.

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DATE / TIME PREPARED:12/16/11 at 5 p.m.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT	Avoid the 14 Ventura County DUI Campaign – Super Bowl Sunday
DATE/TIME	February 5, 2012
LOCATION	Oxnard
CONTACT	Mónica Muñoz Community Affairs Manager / PIO (805) 385-7631 [email protected]

Oxnard, CA– The Avoid the 14 Ventura County DUI Campaign reminds football fans watching this year’s Super Bowl game to designate a sober driver. Law Enforcement joins with the national “Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk” campaign from the National Football League (NFL), the California office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition.

The Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force will deploy special roving DUI patrols on Sunday, February 5 in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and several other communities throughout the area looking to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.

In 2010, more than 10,000 people were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In California, this deadly crime led to 791 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver.

“We’re reminding everyone that real Super Bowl Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,” said Commander Andrew Salinas of the Oxnard Police Department. “We are asking all party hosts and bar owners to take extra good care of designated sober drivers this year. Drafting a designated driver this weekend will be the correct play call for a sure win.”

The Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk message supports the league-wide designated-driver campaign called Responsibility Has Its Rewards. Celebrating its ninth season in 2011, the campaign encourages fans to participate in designated-driver programs supported by beer and concessionaire companies at every NFL stadium nationwide. The Responsibility Has Its Rewards Super Bowl XLVI winners were randomly selected designated divers for the season from the AFC Champion and NFC Champion teams. They attend the 2012 Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

“We want everyone to make the right decision on Super Bowl Sunday,” said Chris Murphy, Director of the Californian Office of Traffic Safety. “Having a designated sober driver should be an obvious call in everyone’s play book. Making sure designated sober drivers know how much we appreciate their responsible decision is what will make this year’s celebration extra special – and extra safe.”

The Avoid DUI Patrols are funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety who reminds everyone to please; Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1! More information can be found on NHTSA’s Super Bowl XLVI page; Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk; and OTS’s California Avoid DUI

If you are hosting a Super Bowl XLVI Party:

Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers before kick-off or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers
Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers at your party
Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always full
Make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home
Serve plenty of food
Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like non-alcohol beers, soft drinks, juice, and water
Only serve alcohol to guests over 21 years of age
Determine ahead of time when you’ll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of the game (just like NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert
Add the numbers of local cab companies into your phone so they are just one touch away
Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired
Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available

If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant

Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home if you plan to drink
Cover the cost for parking or even pay for a tank of gas
Pick up the tab for their food and drink
Before you go out, add the numbers for local cab companies in your cell phone so if you find yourself in need of a ride, it is just one touch away
Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
Always buckle up – it’s your best defense on the road

For more information, please visit www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org or www.californiaavoid.org or http://www.nhtsa.gov/Impaired.

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT	Sobriety / driver’s license checkpoint
DATE/TIME	February 16, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
LOCATION	Rose Avenue just north of Lindsey Drive

(Oxnard, CA) On February 16, 2012 between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department conducted a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint in the southbound lanes of Rose Avenue just north of Lindsey Drive.

Officers screened 734 motorists who passed through the checkpoint and conducted two DUI investigations of drivers who had consumed alcohol. Of those investigations, one person was arrested for DUI.

Citations were issued to six drivers for various drivers license violations. Thirty drivers were issued citations for driving without a valid driver’s license and two drivers were cited for driving with a suspended driver’s license. Seven vehicles were towed from the checkpoint.

The Oxnard PD will continue to conduct DUI enforcement operations. These DUI operations are an effort to reduce the number of alcohol related crashes and to make our roadways and community safer. If you see an impaired driver, call 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 Senior Officer Jamie Brown at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at [email protected]

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