Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Homicide (twelve years ago)
DATE/TIME:	October 10, 2002 11:00 P.M.
LOCATION:	1900 block North “H” Street, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	Steven Anthony Lemos, Sr., 24 years, Oxnard resident
SUSPECT(S):	Black male, twenties, between 5’6” and 5’8” tall and about 190 lbs. He was wearing a black baseball cap, a black fitted sweater and black jeans
PREPARED BY:	Detective Robert Eckman, Major Crimes, (805) 385-7760, bob.eckman@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Robert Eckman, Major Crimes, (805) 385-7760, bob.eckman@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS: The Oxnard Police Department is looking for the public’s help in solving this crime. Victim families learn to live on after a loss but their grief never goes away. Loved ones left behind look desperately for the answer of “why” with a hope of at least some closure.

October 10, 2014 will mark the twelfth anniversary of the unsolved murder of Steven Anthony Lemos, Sr. The shooting happened on October 10, 2002 at about 11 p.m. in the 1900 block of North “H” Street in Oxnard. Lemos was shot several times inside his residence and died later during surgery. Lemos’ wife and their one year old son were with him when he was shot but were not hurt during the incident. Lemos died just two days before his 25^th birthday.

The only information available about the suspect at that time was as follows: Black male, approximate age in his twenties, between 5’6” and 5’8” tall and about 190 lbs. He was wearing a black baseball cap, a black fitted sweater and black jeans and that he may have been in the company of a female at the time of the murder.

Anonymous tips and messages have been received that lead police to believe that the suspect is known and that suspect’s friend/s or family member/s may also know the circumstances behind this homicide.

The city of Oxnard offers a $10,000 Reward for information pertaining to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this homicide. In addition, Former Governor Davis had authorized an additional $50,000 reward, and this award is still available under Governor Jerry Brown.

Anyone with information about this unsolved murder is encouraged to call Oxnard PD at (805) 385-7740 or Detective Robert Eckman at (805) 385-7760. 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 this site http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or email.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 10/08/14 / 0800

Jeri Williams
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Oxnard Police Chief releases findings from investigation of alleged “shooting tattoos”
DATE/TIME:	June 10, 2015 4:45 p.m.
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Miguel Lopez, Oxnard Police Department
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams (805) 385-7624 jeri.williams@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS: On July 8, 2014, Raul Hernandez, a journalist and operator of an online news and information website, reported to Chief Jeri Williams that he had received information that a specific number of past and present Oxnard Police Department officers had engaged in serious misconduct. Hernandez related that an anonymous source had reported to him that these officers had obtained a specific tattoo following their involvement in an officer-involved shooting.

The anonymous source indicated that a subculture existed within the department that celebrated officer involvement in such incidents. According to the allegations, officers received the tattoo only after their involvement in an officer-involved shooting. Hernandez’s source alleged that the tattoos were placed on the officer’s shoulder, and were not visible outside of the uniform. Specific details were provided describing the tattoo.

Of note, the allegations were circulated on the internet by various social media platforms, including blogs and shares to other websites.

Given the nature of the allegations, Chief Williams requested that this matter be formally investigated by an outside, independent entity. The City of Oxnard retained a licensed investigator through the Public Management Group of the law firm Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai, which has conducted investigations for many public agencies in California.

The independent investigation concluded that the allegations were unfounded, and the officers were cleared of violations of department policy. The investigation did not find any evidence supporting the existence within the department of a subculture that celebrates an officer’s involvement in a shooting.

The accused officers cooperated with investigators, and provided the investigators with visual confirmation. The investigators noted that none of the officers had tattoos that were consistent with the description provided by Mr. Hernandez. Investigators noted that some of the accused officers had tattoos that had no relation to officer-involved shootings or had no tattoos on their body at all. One of the accused, had never been in an officer-involved shooting.

Chief Williams stated “The Department takes allegations of misconduct seriously. This includes allegations of excessive force, as well as those allegations that compromise the public’s trust. I am pleased that all of the involved officers volunteered to be inspected, and that the investigation cleared them of any misperception the public may have about the culture of the Oxnard Police Department.” Chief Williams also added, “It is troublesome that word of the allegations from an anonymous source with unknown credibility was widely spread on the internet, and it is unfortunate some members of the public may never hear what the actual facts of the matter turned out to be.”

City Manager Greg Nyhoff noted that “It is critical that our police officers have the trust of the community. While I agree with the conclusions of the investigation, I do not condone any symbol or action that could be construed as glorifying the use of force. This is especially important in light of recent tragic incidents around the country. I am pleased that the Police Department took decisive steps to have this matter investigated independently.”

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Pedestrian Struck by Vehicle
DATE/TIME:	December 9, 2015 / 1859 hours
LOCATION:	Santa Lucia Avenue @ Rose Avenue
PARTY 1:	Male, approximately 40 years old, Oxnard Resident
PARTY 2:	Martha Polanco, 49 years, Port Hueneme Resident
VEHICLE 2:	Grey, 2012 Nissan Rogue
PREPARED BY:	Senior Officer Maria Pena, Traffic Coordinator
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Senior Officer Maria Pena (805) 385-7750 maria.pena@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:
On December 9, 2015 at about 6:59 P.M., officers from the Oxnard Police Department and EMS responded to an injury traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. The collision occurred near the intersection of Santa Lucia Avenue and Rose Avenue.

Preliminary investigation indicates that a Nissan Rogue, driven by Martha Polanco, was traveling southbound on Rose Avenue from Santa Lucia Avenue. For an unknown reason, a male pedestrian crossed Rose Avenue in front of the Nissan Rogue and was struck.

The pedestrian was transported to Ventura County Medical Center where he is listed in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle, Polanco, was not injured as a result of the collision.

It is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs are factors in the collision. The collision is still under investigation.

If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Senior Office Maria Pena at 805-385-7750 or via e-mail at maria.pena@oxnardpd.org

DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 9, 2015, 2305 hours.

DETAILS:

The Oxnard Police Department will conduct a multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday, October 30, 2009, from 8:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. The checkpoints will be held throughout the City of Oxnard and are funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Tragically, 462 individuals have been killed or injured in alcohol involved collisions during the past five Halloween weekends in California (2004-2008). The Oxnard Police Department will also have additional officers out on the evening of Halloween conducting DUI enforcement.

The Oxnard Police Department will continue conducting Sobriety and Driver’s License checkpoints in 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.

By: Officer Charles Woodruff

Oxnard Police Department

(797-6643)

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint
DATE/TIME:	December 17th, 1800-2400
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Senior Officer Brian Woolley, Traffic Coordinator

DETAILS:

On 12-17-09, The Oxnard Police Department will continue its crackdown on DUI drivers this 2009 holiday season by conducting a multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Thursday, December 17, 2009, from 6:00 P.M. to 12:00 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.

According to Ventura County statistics, one person was killed and 38 people were injured in alcohol involved collisions during the 2008 holiday season which runs from December 18th to January 3rd.

For the third year in a row, DUI deaths have declined in California, dropping 9.1 percent between 2007 and 2008. Although this is a great improvement, data collected by the California Highway Patrol indicates that 1,029 people were killed and 28,457 people were injured in alcohol involved collisions in the year 2008.

The Oxnard Police Department will have several DUI enforcement operations this holiday season including additional Sobriety and Driver’s License checkpoints. All of these 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.

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at brianwoolley@oxnardpd.org.

By: Senior Officer Brian Woolley
Traffic Coordinator
Oxnard Police Department
(385-7749)

John Crombach
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Sobriety and Drivers License Checkpoint
DATE/TIME:	February 12th, 2010 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 one of three multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoints in February this Friday night, February 12th, 2010, 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. Additional officers will be on patrol after the checkpoint conducting additional DUI enforcement.

During the month of January 2010, the Oxnard Police Department investigated 25 DUI related crashes in the City of Oxnard.

“Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest” is all around the state. The Oxnard Police Department will conduct several additional DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols in 2010. All of these 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.

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at brianwoolley@oxnardpd.org.

Note to the media:
Members of the media are always invited to attend these DUI checkpoints or any of our DUI enforcement operations. Please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley to schedule your attendance.

John Crombach
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Carjacking & Assault with a Deadly Weapon
DATE/TIME:	3-4-10 / 1800
LOCATION:	1300 block of North “C” Street, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	60 year-old male, Oxnard resident
SUSPECT(S):	Hispanic male, mid-20s, 5-11, 160 lbs.
VICTIM VEHICLE(S):	Silver 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
PREPARED BY:	Detective Chip Buttell (805) 385-7665
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Chip Buttell (805) 385-7665

DETAILS:

On 3-4-10 at 6:00 P.M. officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to a carjacking in the 1300 block of North “C” Street. The suspect assaulted the victim with an unknown weapon and fled the area in the victim’s vehicle.

The victim was transported to St. John’s Regional Medical Center by ambulance for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the assault.

A teletype concerning the stolen vehicle was immediately distributed to all law enforcement agencies. At about 8:00 P.M. Oxnard police was notified by the California Highway Patrol that the victim vehicle was located on US-101 just north of Los Alamos in Santa Barbara County. The car was involved in a traffic collision.

The investigation is continuing.

John Crombach
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Mounted Unit Deployed for Fireworks Suppression
DATE/TIME:	July 3^rd & 4^th
LOCATION:	Oxnard Shores and Channel Islands Harbor
VICTIM(S):
SUSPECT(S):
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Marty Meyer, Special Projects Commander
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	SAA, (805) 207-7078

DETAILS:

The popular and effective Oxnard Police Department Mounted Unit will be deployed Saturday, July 3^rd and Sunday, July 4^th as part of the Agency’s fireworks suppression strategy.

Officers Larry Eklund, his partner “Clinton,” and Officer Jim Evans and his partner “JJ,” will be deployed on Oxnard beaches Saturday, July 3^rd alerting the public that Oxnard continues it zero tolerance approach to fireworks especially over the 4^th of July weekend. These officers and their partners have similarly been deployed each of the last two years in an effort to gain public compliance. July 4^th fireworks-related disturbance calls have been significantly reduced in Oxnard from 410 in 2007 to 216 in 2008 and 175 in 2009.

The Mounted Unit will expand its mission Sunday, July 4^th, focusing on fireworks suppression in, and around the Oxnard Shores and the Channel Islands Harbor. Much of their deployment will be during nighttime hours.

Clinton and JJ have been asked to, and will participate in Channel Islands Harbor Children’s Parade. This marks the first time this “working unit” has participated in a parade.

Residents and visiting beachgoers are reminded that possession and use of fireworks is prohibited in Oxnard with violators facing fines as much as $1,000.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 6-30-10

John Crombach
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	245(a)(2)PC – Assault with a Deadly Weapon (Firearm)
DATE/TIME:	07-05-10 / 1923 HRS
LOCATION:	1300-blk of West Birch Street
VICTIM(S):	17 year-old, Oxnard resident
SUSPECT(S):	Hispanic male wearing all dark clothing
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Detective Roger Garcia
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Detective Edward Baldwin 805-486-7386 / Edwardbaldwin@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:

On 7-5-10, at approximately 1923 hours, officers responded to the 1300-blk of West Birch Street reference contacting a victim of a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim who told officers he was riding his skateboard in the neighborhood when he was confronted by a group of males. One of these males, later identified as the suspect, made a comment to the victim about his skateboard. The victim ignored the suspect and he rode his skateboard home.

When the victim arrived home, he noticed the suspect had followed him home. The suspect then began a verbal dispute with the victim. The suspect eventually displayed a firearm and fired one shot missing the victim. The suspect then fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Edward Baldwin at 805-486-7386 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).

The name of the victim is being withheld due to the victim being a juvenile and the suspect possibly being associated with a gang.

An investigation is continuing.

John Crombach
Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	DUI Checkpoint Results
DATE/TIME:	Saturday, August 28th, 2010 1800-0200
LOCATION:	City of Oxnard
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Brian Woolley, Traffic Coordinator (805) 385-7749

DETAILS:

The Oxnard Police Department conducted a multi-location sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Saturday, August 28th, from 6:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M.

The checkpoint was held in the following locations:

1. W/B Wooley Road @ J Street
2. S/B Victoria Avenue @ Gonzales Road

Officers screened 1,081 motorists who passed through the checkpoints. Officers conducted four DUI investigations with drivers who had been drinking alcohol and two drivers were arrested for DUI. One additional driver was arrested for outstanding misdemeanor warrants.

Forty-eight drivers were issued citations for various driver’s license violations. Twenty-one drivers were issued citations for driving without a valid driver’s license and four drivers were cited for driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license. Ten vehicles were towed from the checkpoints.

These checkpoints are funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA).

For any questions related to DUI and traffic enforcement, please contact Senior Officer Brian Woolley at (805) 385-7749 or via e-mail at brianwoolley@oxnardpd.org.