With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, directed through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, the Oxnard Police Department is eligible to receive a $398,746 grant to support its commitment to public safety.

The funding can be used to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime. JAG funds can be used to assist law enforcement programs with funding for technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems. Specific applications of these funds are being carefully considered, and a proposal will be submitted in the next few weeks.

The Police Department is currently exploring additional funding opportunities, many of which are a product of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in February.

Further information about this JAG funding source can be found at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/recoveryJAG/JAGrecoveryLocal.pdf.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Attempt Robbery / Attempt Homicide
DATE/TIME:	February 23, 2009 9:50 PM
LOCATION:	Intersection of Charles and Chester, Oxnard
VICTIM/S:	36 year-old, Oxnard resident 32 year-old Oxnard resident
SUSPECT/S:	2 Hispanic male adults wearing dark clothing.
WITNESS/ES:	N/A
SUSPECT VEHICLE:	N/A
LOSS:	None
PREPARED BY:	Violent Crimes Sergeant Terry Burr

DETAILS:

On 2-23-09 at 9:50 PM Officers responded to a call of a shooting victim in the area of Charles and Chester. Upon officers arrival they located the victim that had sustained a gunshot wound. The victim was rushed to St. John’s Regional Medical Center where he was moved into surgery and is listed in serious but stable condition.

Investigators learned that one victim was confronted in the street by two suspects’ that attempted to rob him of his property. When the second victim came to his aid he was shot by the suspect. The suspect’s fled the area prior to officer’s arrival. The suspect’s did not get any property from the attack.

Due to the serious nature of this incident investigators are requesting any information on the attack please contact Detective Baldwin at (805) 385-7688 or the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070

An investigation is continuing.

DATE: 2/24/2009

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Multi-Location Search Warrant Execution
DATE/TIME:	02-18-2009 / 0700 hrs
LOCATION:	15 locations throughout Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Jim Seitz, Homicide Supervisor

DETAILS: On February 18, 2009, 165 Law Enforcement Officers from 10 Local and Federal Agencies conducted Search Warrants at 15 locations in the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme. These search warrants were related to the two homicides in the Lemonwood area of Oxnard that took place in January.

The search warrant service began at 7:00 am and all 15 locations were hit simultaneously. No injuries were reported at any of the locations. Several guns were recovered during the warrant service including handguns, shotguns and rifles.

Oxnard Police utilized their SWAT Team for entry purposes at several of the locations. The purpose of the warrants was to further the investigation relating to the homicides and other gang crime in the Lemonwood area. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the murders. Those investigations are on-going. Two juveniles were arrested during the warrants for probation violations.

The Police Department has focused a significantly elevated level of gang suppression efforts in the Lemonwood area and throughout the City since the up spike of gang activity that occurred in January. There has only been one gang related assault reported to date in the City for the month of February.

The cooperation displayed in today’s operation by both Ventura and Santa Barbara criminal justice agencies is indicative of the outstanding working relationship that exists not only for operations such as this warrant service, but also in day to day operations and investigations.

Assisting agencies include;

Ventura County Sherriff’s Department, Ventura Police Department, Santa Barbara Sherriff’s Department, Santa Barbara Police Department, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, FBI, Port Hueneme Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the Ventura County Probation Department.

An investigation is continuing.

DATE: 2-18-09

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Assault With A Deadly Weapon
DATE/TIME:	2-8-09 / 7:30 PM
LOCATION:	Beck Park @ Kamala and “C” Street
VICTIM/S:	37 year-old Oxnard Resident
SUSPECT/S:	4 to 5 Hispanic males, no further description
PREPARED BY:	Detective Charles Buttell

DETAILS:

On 2-8-09 at approximately 7:30 PM, Oxnard police officers were dispatched to Beck Park located at Kamala and “C” Street in regards to a stabbing victim. Officers made contact with the victim. The victim was transported to St John’s Regional Medical Center where he is listed in stable condition.

The victim told officers he was stabbed in the south alley of Beck Park. The suspects were described as four or five Hispanic males, 19-20 years of age.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident can contact Detective Alex Arnett at (805) 486-6297 or the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070. Investigators feel the motive is gang related.

An investigation is continuing.

DATE: 2-8-09

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

Dear Editor:

Some of the most difficult moments as your police chief come when the phone rings in the middle of the night and you are informed that yet another young person has been the victim of violence in our city. It is both frustrating and tragic and unfortunately those calls have been more frequent in recent days.

Over the past month we have experienced an increase in violence. While the overall crime rate in Oxnard has dropped by more than 60% per capita since 1992 we do, at times, experience these spikes of crime – typically between rival gangs that know each other and seek to inflict pain and injury.

The challenge is to mobilize quickly to interrupt the increase of activity. It is a very difficult cycle to break, a cycle that will require Herculean efforts by every facet of our community. This is not passing the buck on my part – it is simply a fact.

To illustrate how deeply ingrained this cycle of violence can be in the psyche of our youth I share a story of a six year old boy who recently spoke to one of our officers at the scene of a gang related homicide. The young boy commented to the officer that he knew the young man who had been killed. The officer attempted to console the boy, making the assumption that the boy would be traumatized by the death of his young friend.

Instead the boy commented that he thought “it was cool” that his friend had been killed in the drive-by shooting – basically implying to the officer that dying “for the gang” was a cool way to die. Frankly, the comment from this young boy has haunted me since hearing the story.

How in the world can we, as a society, turn this ship around? I don’t have all the answers to this question but I can share that we as a police department and a city are doing everything humanly possible to curb this violence. From redeploying officers for stepped up enforcement to working with kids in our schools, to providing parenting classes to creating programs to curb truancy in our schools – we, as a police department and a city, are doing everything we can. The police department has the full support of our elected leadership and the City Manager to attack these issues.

One thing we have learned is that it’s not all about suppression. In fact, the Oxnard Police Department participates in a variety of different efforts currently in place with respect to prevention and intervention programs. And certainly there are many, many other outstanding efforts being made in our community by a myriad of community based organizations. These efforts have been highly effective and I believe are one of the factors for the significant drop in crime in the city going back to 1992.

However, a number of individuals have not been reached through these efforts. From our estimates we believe the individuals committing these violent acts comprise significantly less than 1% of our population. Understandably, the actions of this small percentage of our population cause great fear and trepidation among our residents.

What we as a police department cannot do, however, is take responsibility for raising the hundreds of youngsters in our city who are perpetuating this type of violent behavior. This is where the community partnership is so critical. Parents need to be good parents and the community at large needs to support these parents and provide our youth with the guidance and opportunities that will steer them away from these dysfunctional behaviors.

So, what can the person reading this article do to help us in this effort? Please cooperate with police and share with us what they see or what they know. There is absolutely no doubt that people in our community, in every case of violence carried out in our city, have the information we need to bring these criminals to justice. A community should never live in fear of retribution from the criminal element. As a community, we send the message that we will not live in fear, that it is the criminal who should fear the community.

We have set up an anonymous tip line – 982-7070 that anyone can call and leave any information that they may have. It is a voice mail number so their anonymity is secure. We also work hand in hand with Ventura County CrimeStoppers – that number is (800) 222-TIPS. CrimeStopper tips are eligible for cash rewards.

Working together we can rid our society of those who hinder our security and quality of life. It will not be easy and please don’t let it be the sole responsibility of your local police department. If everyone will do their part – I am confident we will have success.

Sincerely,

John Crombach

Chief of Police

The photos below are taken from video surveillance footage showing an auto theft suspect who stole a vehicle in Oxnard on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at about 2:15 p.m.

The images show a white or Hispanic male, about 18 years of age, thin build, long curly dark hair down to below his shoulders, wearing a black baseball cap worn backward, white jacket, gray t-shirt and black ankle-length shorts.

Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to call Sr. Officer Ken Klopman, Downtown Beat 23 Coordinator, at (805) 385-8212. Callers can remain anonymous.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Assault with a Deadly Weapon (Shooting)
DATE/TIME:	January 25, 2009 at 8:40 p.m.
LOCATION:	Ventura Road in the area of Date Street
VICTIM/S:	25 year-old Oxnard resident
SUSPECT/S:	2 Hispanic males wearing dark polo shirts
SUSPECT VEHICLE:	None seen
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Terry Burr

DETAILS:

On January 25, 2009 at 8:40 p.m. officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to a call of a shooting victim in the area of Hemlock Street and Ventura Road. Upon officers’ arrival they contacted the victim on the frontage road of Ventura Road at Date Street. The victim was suffering from at least gunshot wound. The victim was transported to St. John’s Regional Medical Center where he was rushed into surgery in serious condition.

During the investigation officers learned that the victim was walking home from the area of Channel Islands Blvd. and Ventura Road. He was confronted by two suspects. Both suspects remove handguns and discharged several rounds towards the victim. Investigators do not know the motive for the shooting.

Anyone with information about this shooting are asked to call Detective Jeff Long at (805) 486-6506 or the Violent Crimes Hotline at (805) 982-7070.

An investigation is continuing.

# # #

DATE: 1-25-2009

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Gang Related Arrests
DATE/TIME:	1/28/09 at 1120 hours
LOCATION:	200 block of Everest Street
VICTIM/S:	State of California
SUSPECT/S:	Juan Manuel Rosas, 22 years, of Oxnard Joseph Michael Peralta, 18 years, of Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Commander Mike Adair

DETAILS:

On 1/28/09 at approximately 1120 hours, Oxnard Police Officer Ricky Vega was patrolling the Rose Park area of Oxnard when a white vehicle caught his attention. The vehicle was driving slowly towards a group of males standing near a house in the area. The officer recognized the occupants of the vehicle as gang members of a rival gang and proceeded to make a traffic stop on the vehicle. The vehicle made a sudden evasive turn onto another street and stopped.

As Officer Vega stopped behind the vehicle, the front passenger jumped out of the vehicle and ran. Officer Vega held the driver of the vehicle at gunpoint while maintaining a view of the fleeing passenger. As the passenger ran from the vehicle, he removed a handgun from his waistband and threw it to the ground.

Back-up officers arrived and assisted with arresting the driver, Juan Rosas. A short time later the passenger, Joseph Peralta was found a few blocks away and arrested. The gun was located and taken as evidence. There is little doubt the actions of Officer Vega prevented a potential drive-by shooting.

Both suspects were booked into the Ventura County Jail. Rosas is being held on a no-bail parole violation; Peralta is facing several charges including possession of a loaded firearm and criminal activity in the furtherance of a criminal street gang. His bail is set at $100,000.

An investigation is continuing.

# # #
DATE: January 28, 2009

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Fight Involving Gun – Suspect Arrested
DATE/TIME:	01/18/2009 @ 2127 hours
LOCATION:	1300 block of Commercial Avenue, Oxnard
VICTIM/S:	Leonel Madrigal, 26 years, of Oxnard
SUSPECT/S:	Filiberto Mata, 19 years, of Oxnard
PREPARED BY:	Officer Edward Idukas

DETAILS:

Oxnard police received a call of a large fight involving a knife in the 1300 block of Commercial Avenue on Sunday (January 18) night at 9:27 p.m. A total of ten Oxnard officers responded to this incident. Upon arrival, officers located a large group standing around an injured subject in the roadway with several unspent rounds of ammunition strewn about him. What officers quickly determined was that the injured party was the suspect in an assault with a deadly weapon, not the victim.

According to statements obtained by officers from parties on scene, Victim Madrigal and Suspect Mata have had an ongoing feud of some type. Tonight, Suspect Mata walked to the residence of Victim Madrigal and pulled out a small caliber handgun.

Due to either his inability to properly handle the weapon or his obviously drunken state, Suspect Mata pulled the loaded handgun from his waistband and pointed it at his intended victim, but Mata was unable to effectively deal with an apparent malfunction of the handgun and ejected several live rounds from the weapon onto the ground. Victim Madrigal quickly disarmed Mata of his handgun.

Mata then pulled out a knife but Madrigal was also able to wrestle the knife away. During the knife disarming, Madrigal sustained a superficial cut to his hand from the knife blade. After this confrontation, Mata was restrained by a crowd of nearby residents who held the suspect until the arrival of police. Police quickly recovered the loaded handgun and knife used by Mata without incident.

During his detention by bystanders, Mata suffered several contusions to his face and head. He was treated for his injuries at Ventura County Medical Center and was later booked into the Ventura County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a loaded firearm and drawing/exhibiting a firearm in a threatening manner. His bail was set at $25,000.

Victim Madrigal did not require medical treatment for his injury. An investigation is continuing.

DATE: 01/19/2009 at 0340 hours.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Oxnard Police Announce Roadway Vending Enforcement
DATE/TIME:	January 14, 2009
LOCATION:	Citywide
PREPARED BY:	Tom Chronister, Commander

DETAILS:

A ban on vending from vehicles or structures and a ban on selling vehicles or structures on Oxnard’s roadways will be enforced beginning March 1, 2009 by the Oxnard Police Department.

On January 1, 2008, California Streets and Highways Code section 731 was amended by the State legislature to allow enforcement by local law enforcement agencies. Section 731 prohibits, among other things, the selling of vehicles on any highway. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor and vehicles can be removed as a nuisance.

A vehicle or structure may be removed from any highway as a public nuisance when:

It is parked for the purpose of selling the vehicle or structure, or
The vehicle or structure is used to sell any article, service or thing.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to park any vehicle or structure within a highway for:

The purpose of selling that vehicle or structure, or
The purpose of selling any article or thing.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to:

Sell, display for sale or offer for sale any article or thing either in or from a vehicle or structure parked or placed within a highway, or
Store, service, repair or otherwise work upon any vehicle parked or placed within a highway, other than upon a vehicle which is temporarily disabled.

After a 30-day grace period, Oxnard officers will begin enforcing the provisions of this Code within the city limits. Vehicles such as ice cream trucks typically conduct curbside sales, are mobile in nature and are therefore regulated separately by the Vehicle Code.

The intent of the section is to dissuade people from using highways for the sole purpose of selling vehicles or selling articles/things from vehicles or structures.

The full text of California Streets and Highways Code section 731 is available online at the State of California Legislative Counsel Web site, http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.

For additional information, please contact Traffic Unit Sergeant Randey Cole at (805) 385-7847.