News | Page 53 | Oxnard Police Department

NEWS RELEASE

DATE: February 25, 2023 / 9:30PM

SUBJECT: Firearm arrest

SUSPECTS: Jonathan Zamora-Velarde, 24 year old Oxnard resident

LOCATION: Campton Drive and Morris Street, Oxnard

CONTACT: Kevin Baysinger, Commander

(805) 385-7600 kevin.baysinger@oxnardpd.org

On February 25^th at about 9:30PM, officers from the Oxnard Police Department conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation at Campton Drive and Morris Street in Oxnard. During the stop, the officers learned that there was a loaded firearm on the passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Officers retrieved the firearm and arrested the driver, Zamora-Velarde, for firearms violations.

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 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. Booking photographs for adult felony arrest available on the department website: www.oxnardpd.org under crime & safety, and booking / call logs.

NEWS RELEASE

DATE: February 27, 2023, 4:55 P.M.

SUBJECT: At-Risk Missing Person

LOCATION: 2100 block Ravoli Drive, Oxnard

MISSING PERSON: Maria Juana Godinez, 79-year-old, Oxnard Resident

CONTACT: Scott Aaron, Sergeant

(805) 385-7756 | Scott.Aaron@Oxnardpd.org

The Missing Persons Unit

(805) 385-7629

The Oxnard Police Department is asking for the community's assistance in locating an at-risk missing adult. Maria Godinez is a 79-year-old Hispanic female, 5’0, 100 lbs., with white hair and brown eyes. Ms. Godinez was last seen at her residence in Oxnard, today at 4:55 pm. She was wearing a grey cardigan sweater and grey pants. Ms. Godinez suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

The Oxnard Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Ms. Godinez. If you have any information about the disappearance of Ms. Godinez, we ask that you contact the Oxnard Police Department dispatch immediately at (805) 385-7740.

NEWS RELEASE: SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT

INCIDENT:	Oxnard’s 2022 Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics
DATE/TIME:	February 22, 2023, 5:00 PM
PREPARED BY:	Jason Benites, Chief of Police
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Alex Arnett, Investigative Services Bureau Commander alex.arnett@oxnardpd.org; (805) 385-7620

DETAILS:

The purpose of this supplemental news release is to provide detailed information about Oxnard’s crime statistics for 2022.

In 1930, the national Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was created as a way for the federal government to collect a reliable set of crime statistics from city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The Oxnard Police Department has been contributing UCR statistics for five (5) decades.

The crime statistics in this news release are consistent with UCR’s Summary Reporting System (SRS) reporting standards for the entire year of 2022. SRS uses a hierarchical system to prioritize and categorize offenses. The hierarchy rule requires that an incident with multiple offenses or charges is narrowed down to a single offense, usually the most serious charge. The Part I schedule includes the crimes in the following table:

Part I Crime	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Violent Crimes
Homicide	13	9	-30.8%	-4
Rape	82	83	1.2%	1
Robbery	183	221	20.8%	38
Aggr. Assault	415	513	23.6%	98
Total	693	826	19.2%	133
Property Crimes
Burglary	428	538	25.7%	110
Motor Veh. Theft	461	610	32.3%	149
Larceny (Theft)	2,538	2,482	-2.2%	-56
Arson	68	59	-13.2%	-9
Total	3,495	3,689	5.6%	194
Grand Total	4,188	4,515	7.81%	327

Homicides

For crime classification and reporting purposes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define homicide as “the willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.” Based on the reporting criteria, the Oxnard Police Department reported nine (9) homicides in 2022. Four (4) of the nine (9) homicides were gang-related. Eight (8) involved a firearm, and one (1) involved a knife.

Homicides	2021	2022	% CHG	NUM DIFF
FIREARM	7	8	14.3%	1
KNIFE	4	1	-75.0%	-3
VEHICLE	2	0	-100.0%	-2
HANDS, FEET, FIST	0	0	N/A	0
Total	13	9	-30.8%	-4

Regarding the victim-offender relationship in the homicides, four (4) were strangers, two (2) were acquaintances, one (1) was domestic-related, and two (2) had no known or an unknown relationship.

Homicide Victim-Offender Relationship	2022
STRANGER	4
ACQUAINTANCE	2
UNKNOWN	2
DOMESTIC	1
Total	9

Of the nine (9) homicides reported in 2022, two (2) homicide offenses were cleared by arrest. Additionally, there was one (1) arrest for a prior year homicide (2017).

Homicide Clearances	2022
Homicides	9
Arrests	3
Total	33%

Rape

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define rape as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” Based on the reporting criteria, the Oxnard Police Department reported 83 offenses to the FBI.

Rape	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Rape	81	82	1.2%	1
Attempted Rape	1	1	0.0%	0
Total	82	83	1.2%	1

Robbery

For crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice define robbery as “the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence or by putting the victim in fear.”

Robbery	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Weapon Type
Firearm	47	40	-14.9%	-7
Knife	39	52	33.3%	13
Other	28	37	32.1%	9
Strong Arm	69	92	33.3%	23
Total	183	221	20.8%	38

The number of robberies increased from 183 in 2021 to 221 in 2022 with a total of 38 more robbery crimes. The increases occurred in robberies to a business (20 more crimes, an increase of 34.5%) and robberies to a person (22 more crimes, an increase of 21.6%). There was a decrease in carjacking crimes, with four (4) fewer carjackings, a decrease of 17.4%.

Aggravated Assault

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define aggravated assault as “an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault involves a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.”

Aggravated Assaults	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Firearm	121	180	48.8%	59
Knife	139	132	-5.0%	-7
Other Weapon (clubs, blunt objects, etc.)	125	143	14.4%	18
Personal Weapons (feet, fists, hands, etc.)	30	58	93.3%	28
Total	415	513	23.6%	98

Aggravated assaults increased by 23.6% with 98 more aggravated assaults in 2022 as compared to reported in 2021. The aggravated assaults category is broad. The relationships between the victim and offender(s) are broken down as follows:

Assault Relationship Types	2022
UNKNOWN OR RANDOM	170
DOMESTIC OR FAMILY RELATED	94
ACQUAINTANCES	85
GANG/TAGGER SUSPECTED	56
TRANSIENT-RELATED	35
ROAD RAGE	21
ASSAULTS ON OFFICERS	18
SHOTS FIRED	18
BAR FIGHT / PARTY	16
Grand Total	513

Burglary

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define burglary as “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.”

Burglary	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Residential	212	263	24.1%	51
Commercial	216	275	27.3%	59
Total	428	538	25.7%	110

The number of burglaries increased 25.7%, or 110 more crimes. The increase occurred in both categories, with 51 more burglary crimes to a residence, an increase of 24.1%, and 59 more burglary crimes to a commercial structure, an increase of 27.3%.

Larceny (Thefts)

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define larceny as “an unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.

Larcenies	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Shoplift	708	597	-15.7%	-111
From Motor Vehicle	822	774	-5.8%	-48
Motor Vehicle Parts	380	405	6.6%	25
Bicycles	73	125	71.2%	52
From Building	152	147	-3.3%	-5
Coin-Op Machines	6	5	-16.7%	-1
Pocket Picking	2	5	150.0%	3
Purse Snatch	0	1	N/A	1
All Other	395	423	7.1%	28
Total	2,538	2,482	-2.2%	-56

The crime category of larceny (theft) decreased by 2.2% overall. There were 2,482 larcenies reported in 2022 compared to 2,538 reported in 2021, a decrease of 56 incidents.

Motor Vehicle Theft

For crime classification and reporting purposes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define motor vehicle theft as “the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.” A motor vehicle is defined as a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land or surface.

Motor Vehicle Theft	2021	2022	% CHG	NUM DIFF
Auto / SUV	300	404	34.7%	104
Truck / Buses	131	169	29.0%	38
Other Veh (M/C)	30	37	23.3%	7
Total	461	610	32.3%	149

Motor vehicle theft increased by 32.3%. There were 610 motor vehicle thefts reported in 2022 and 461 during 2021, an increase of 149 crimes. Many of these vehicle thefts were preventable, e.g., vehicle’s keys not secured and were readily available or vehicle was left running while unattended. Approximately 27%, or 165 car thefts, were preventable.

Stolen MO	2022
Preventable (165)	165
Unpreventable (445)	445
Total	610

Top Stolen Vehicles	Count	% of Total
Chevy Silverado	76	12.5%
Honda Civic	66	10.8%
Total	142	23.3%

Arson

For purposes of crime classification and reporting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice define arson as “any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.”

Arson	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Residential	7	2	-71.4%	-5
Other Residential	7	5	-28.6%	-2
Storage	1	1	0.0%	0
Industrial / Manufacturing	0	1	N/A	1
Other Commercial	11	10	-9.1%	-1
Community / Public	16	9	-43.8%	-7
All Other Structure	2	11	450.0%	9
Motor Vehicle	19	14	-26.3%	-5
Other Mobile	2	2	0.0%	0
Other	3	4	33.3%	1
Total	68	59	-13.2%	-9

During 2022, there were 59 reported arson incidents compared to 68 in 2021, a decrease of 13.2%, or nine (9) fewer crimes. The largest decrease was in arson to a residence, which decreased by five (5) incidents, or 71.4%, to a total of two (2) residential arson crimes in 2022.

A Final Look at UCR 2022

The Oxnard Police Department is reporting 2023 crime statistics through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Future press releases will contain crime statistics following NIBRS reporting standards.

NEWS RELEASE

DATE: February 20, 2023, 1:00 P.M.

SUBJECT: At-Risk Missing Person

LOCATION: 4300 block Drake Drive, Oxnard

MISSING PERSON: Saul Aguilar, 84-year-old, Oxnard Resident

CONTACT: Scott Aaron, Sergeant

(805) 385-7756 | Scott.Aaron@Oxnardpd.org

The Missing Persons Unit

(805) 385-7629

The Oxnard Police Department is asking for the community's assistance in locating an at-risk missing adult. Saul Aguilar is an 84-year-old Hispanic male, 5’8, 150 lbs., with black and grey hair and brown eyes. Mr. Aguilar was last seen at his residence in Oxnard, today at 1:00 pm. He was wearing a blue and grey plaid sweater, long sleeve grey and white plaid shirt, and dark pants. Mr. Aguilar suffers from the early stages of Dementia.

The Oxnard Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Mr. Aguilar. If you have any information about the disappearance of Mr. Aguilar, we ask that you contact the Oxnard Police Department dispatch immediately at (805) 385-7740.

Mr. Aguilar has been located and is now safely with his family. Thank you for your assistance.

Commander Rocky Marquez

Oxnard Police Department

Patrol Watch Commander

805-385-7600

On Mon, Feb 20, 2023 at 9:13 PM Marquez, Rocky <rocky.marquez@oxnardpd.org> wrote:

  NEWS RELEASE

DATE:                                   February 20, 2023, 1:00 P.M.

SUBJECT: At-Risk Missing Person

LOCATION:                          4300 block Drake Drive, Oxnard

MISSING PERSON: Saul Aguilar, 84-year-old, Oxnard Resident

CONTACT: Scott Aaron, Sergeant

(805) 385-7756 | Scott.Aaron@Oxnardpd.org

The Missing Persons Unit

(805) 385-7629

The Oxnard Police Department is asking for the community's assistance in locating an at-risk missing adult. Saul Aguilar is an 84-year-old Hispanic male, 5’8, 150 lbs., with black and grey hair and brown eyes. Mr. Aguilar was last seen at his residence in Oxnard, today at 1:00 pm. He was wearing a blue and grey plaid sweater, long sleeve grey and white plaid shirt, and dark pants. Mr. Aguilar suffers from the early stages of Dementia.

The Oxnard Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Mr. Aguilar. If you have any information about the disappearance of Mr. Aguilar, we ask that you contact the Oxnard Police Department dispatch immediately at (805) 385-7740.

Victoria Avenue has been closed for southbound traffic at Gum Tree Street, as crews work to clear a downed tree from blocking the roadway. This has also impacted traffic in the northbound lanes of Victoria Avenue. Please consider using alternate routes.

All lanes of traffic on Victoria Avenue are now open.

On Tue, Feb 21, 2023 at 9:37 PM Marquez, Rocky <rocky.marquez@oxnardpd.org> wrote:

Victoria Avenue has been closed for southbound traffic at Gum Tree Street, as crews work to clear a downed tree from blocking the roadway. This has also impacted traffic in the northbound lanes of Victoria Avenue. Please consider using alternate routes.

Vineyard Avenue has been closed between Stroube Street and Riverpark Boulevard due to a structure fire. Please consider using alternate routes until further notice.

All lanes of traffic on Vineyard Avenue are now open EXCEPT the #2 northbound lane between Stroube Street and Riverpark Boulevard. Due to a structure fire, the #2 northbound lane will be closed until further notice.

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Oxnard’s 2022 Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics
DATE/TIME:	February 22, 2023, 2:00 PM
PREPARED BY:	Jason Benites, Chief of Police
CONTACT PERSON AND CONTACT INFO:	Alex Arnett, Investigative Services Bureau Commander alex.arnett@oxnardpd.org; (805) 385-7620

DETAILS:

The City of Oxnard reported a total of 4,515 crimes for calendar year 2022. This figure, which represents Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) statistics offenses, indicates an overall increase of 7.81% from the previous year.

Despite the increase, Oxnard’s level of reported UCR crime remains 10% lower than the last pre-pandemic year of 2019, which saw a reported 5,107 crimes. The final figure for 2022 UCR reportable crimes (4,515), is the second lowest reported crime year in Oxnard over the last ten years, and the third lowest year since 1992.

Contained within this news release are the UCR statistics for 2022. The UCR program, managed by the US Department of Justice, collects crime statistics from over 18,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the country. The Oxnard Police Department has tracked UCR statistics for the past five decades. The statistics are classified into eight “Part One” crimes that fall under two broad categories: violent crime and property crime.

The below table contains UCR crimes reported in 2022:

Part I Crime	2021	2022	Percent Change	Num. Diff.
Violent Crimes
Homicide	13	9	-30.8%	-4
Rape	82	83	1.2%	1
Robbery	183	221	20.8%	38
Aggravated Assault	415	513	23.6%	98
Total	693	826	19.2%	133
Property Crimes
Burglary	428	538	25.7%	110
Motor Vehicle Theft	461	610	32.3%	149
Larceny (Theft)	2,538	2,482	-2.2%	-56
Arson	68	59	-13.2%	-9
Total	3,495	3,689	5.6%	194
Grand Total	4,188	4,515	7.81%	327

As noted in the chart, the City of Oxnard reported an overall 7.81% increase in Part 1 crimes for 2022. There were 327 more reported crimes than in the previous year. For violent crimes, there was a 19.2% increase, and for property crimes, there was a 5.6% increase, as compared to 2021.

Violent Crime

There were nine (9) homicides in 2022, four (4) less than the previous year. Oxnard’s 2022 homicide clearance rate was 33%, all of which were cleared by arrests. A more detailed explanation is listed in the supplemental report to this news release.

Violent crime saw an increase in robberies (20.8%), an increase in aggravated assaults (23.6%), and one additional reported rape (1.2%) in 2022 as compared to the previous year. Also, there was an overall increase of 25.6% in domestic violence-related offenses in 2022 as compared to the previous year. Though domestic violence offenses do not have their own UCR category, we have included Oxnard’s statistics:

Domestic Violence Offenses	2021	2022	% CHG	NUM DIFF
Misdemeanor Cases	316	409	29.4%	93
Felony Cases	379	464	22.4%	85
Total	695	873	25.6%	178

Property Crime

Property crime in Oxnard experienced increases in burglary (25.7%) and motor vehicle theft (32.3%). There was a reduction in larceny, commonly referred to as theft, (-2.2%) and a reduction in arson (-13.2%).

The Oxnard Police Department had set a previous goal to report the 2022 crime statistics using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). NIBRS is viewed as a more comprehensive reporting system as compared to the UCR program. To accurately collect the additional data elements to the FBI (NIBRS) standards, California law enforcement records management systems vendors had to build new programs to include those additional data sets. This delayed many California agencies, including the Oxnard Police Department, from meeting the goal to submit and report NIBRS crime data in 2022. However, the Oxnard Police Department aims to release 2023 year-end crime statistics from data collected using NIBRS.

It is important to understand the difference between UCR and NIBRS crime reporting. UCR crime data is collected by reporting the highest level offense in each criminal incident. This summary of crime information is tabulated in monthly reports. NIBRS, however, collects detailed data on each criminal offense within each incident. NIBRS goes much deeper to provide circumstances and context for crimes, which will provide a more detailed understanding of crime patterns, and help law enforcement make informed decisions about crime prevention and public safety.

Chief Jason Benites stated, “We have been fortunate to have experienced a downward trend in reported crime in Oxnard for the past seven years. Oxnard experienced an unprecedented 18% drop in reported crime in 2021, marking that year as having the least reported crime in a decade (and the second lowest year since 1992). It is not surprising that when statistics drop to a low point, we then see an uptick in the following time period, as figures revert towards average year levels.”

He added, “The past three years in our world have also been extraordinary ones. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes in our society. Behaviors changed as restrictions accompanied the pandemic. As emergency orders were scaled back, and are soon to be rescinded, we find ourselves trending back to pre-pandemic years. This includes activities and behaviors, and crime expectedly comes along with that. Crime reduction is a fundamental department priority, and we will continue to put forth great effort to keep our community safe.”