Ventura County
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Latest Ventura County stories — newest first.
Local NewsApr 15, 20261 minCSU PROFESSOR ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING ICE AFTER CAMARILLO RAID NOW ACQUITTED!
Cal State University Channel Islands philosophy professor Dr. John Caravello has been acquitted of federal assault charges following a high-profile trial in Downtown Los Angeles. The Justice Department had sought a conviction that carried a potential 20-year prison sentence, accusing Caravello of assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon during a July 2025 immigration raid at a Camarillo cannabis farm.
Kind Joe
CRIMEApr 15, 20261 minMOORPARK DAD OUT ON BAIL AFTER ASSAULTING DAUGHTER WHO LATER DIED BY SUICIDE
Stephen Vincent Chavez is currently walking free on $250,000 bail while the family of his late daughter, Makayla Rene Settles, fights to ensure he faces a jury. The tragedy began when 18-year-old Makayla moved to Moorpark to live with Chavez, her biological father. According to allegations from her family and law enforcement, she was assaulted within just 48 hours of arriving.
Kind Joe
CRIMEApr 14, 20261 minSimi Valley Man Arrested After Allegedly Arranging Meeting With Minor for Sex
Police say a 47 year old man from West Hills showed up at a Simi Valley home expecting to meet a 15 year old girl, but was instead arrested by detectives. A 47 year old man, identified as Soroush Esmaeilisikaroodi of West Hills, was arrested in Simi Valley after allegedly arranging to meet someone he believed was a 15 year old girl for sexual purposes.
Kind Joe
Local NewsApr 14, 20262 minOxnard's District 3 Strikes Back & Serves Recall Intent Against Aaron Starr
The Oxnard City Council chamber transformed into a legal battleground on April 14, 2026, as Manuel Herrera, founder of Citizens for a Better Oxnard, formally served a notice of intent to recall Councilmember Aaron Starr.
Kind Joe
Local NewsApr 14, 20261 min11,824 SNATCHED IN ICE 805 SWEEP, OXNARD REELING AS 157 DISAPPEAR IN ONE WEEK!
Oxnard is in a state of shock following a "dark week" where a resident alleged that 157 residents have gone missing as part of a massive sweep across the 805 area code. During a recent city council forum, the resident claimed that families are shattered as the "taken" count in Ventura County allegedly climbs to 889, paralyzed with fear over who will be next to vanish from the streets.
Kind Joe
Public SafetyApr 14, 20261 minRunyon Canyon Under Siege: Residents Blame City Hall Negligence for Violent "Hellhole" Conditions
Runyon Canyon has officially descended into chaos, and hikers are demanding immediate intervention from city officials. Once considered the crown jewel of Los Angeles trails, local regulars now describe the park as a violent hellhole where women fear for their safety and arsonists are running unchecked.
Kind Joe
Public SafetyApr 14, 20261 minSIMI VALLEY TRAILS ARE BECOMING A SNAKE MINEFIELD
Simi Valley hikers, watch your step because rattlesnake season isn't just back—it’s officially on steroids. Experts are sounding the alarm as bite risks skyrocket following an unseasonably warm start to 2026.
Kind Joe
Local NewsApr 14, 20262 minVentura Becomes Largest U.S. City to Ban "Torture Device" Glue Traps
The Ventura City Council has officially voted to ban the sale and use of glue traps, joining a growing list of California cities that have declared the devices a threat to both animal welfare and public health.
Kind Joe
True CrimeApr 14, 20262 minDid You Know Charles Manson Called Ventura County Home?
Long before the name Charles Manson became synonymous with the 1969 Tate LaBianca murders, he and his cult followers treated the corridor between Oxnard and Simi Valley as their primary headquarters.
Kind Joe
Local NewsApr 14, 20261 minCamarillo Police Hosting Massive Drug Take Back
If you have a medicine cabinet full of old, expired, or unwanted pills, the Camarillo Police Department wants you to dump them, no questions asked. On Saturday, April 25, 2026, Camarillo is joining the DEA’s 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative.
Kind Joe
Public SafetyApr 14, 20261 minSIMI VALLEY RIDER ARRESTED AFTER WILD SIDEWALK CHASE
This Simi Valley rider really thought he was in a high-octane thriller, but he was actually on a bike that barely hits his knees. On April 11, 2026, a Simi Valley traffic officer spotted a man zipping a gas-powered pocket bike around the busy intersection of Sycamore Drive and Los Angeles Avenue.
Kind Joe
CELEBRITYApr 13, 20261 minBritney Spears Checks into Rehab After Ventura County DUI
Pop icon Britney Spears has voluntarily checked herself into a substance abuse treatment facility this week, following a highly publicized DUI arrest in Ventura County.
Kind Joe
CRIMEApr 13, 20262 minDUO WHO SCAMMED ELDERS CAUGHT IN VENTURA POLICE STING
A "twisted" plot to swindle a Ventura senior out of $75,000 came to a screeching halt when Yanwen Gu and Shaohua Sun walked straight into a police trap. The nightmare began on March 18, 2026, when a local senior received a fraudulent text message disguised as an Apple Store confirmation. When he called the number provided, scammers convinced him that his bank accounts were linked to a child exploitation investigation in Canada. Terrified and misled, the man was instructed to withdraw $25,000 in cash and hand it over to a "purported undercover officer" using a secret code phrase. The victim complied, but after the exchange, he and his spouse realized they had likely been defrauded and contacted the Ventura Police Department (VPD). The scammers got greedy the very next day. While VPD detectives were interviewing the victim at his home on March 19, the fraudsters led by a caller identifying herself as "Jade" contacted him again, this time demanding an additional $50,000. Detectives pounced on the opportunity, coordinating a sting operation where the victim scheduled a second meeting. When Yanwen Gu, 40, of Rosemead, approached the victim to collect the second bag of cash, detectives moved in and took her into custody after she accepted the "code phrase." Her accomplice, Shaohua Sun, 39, of Monterey Park, was also arrested nearby while acting as a lookout. Both Gu and Sun have been charged with multiple felonies, including conspiracy to commit grand theft and attempted grand theft. They are currently being held at the Ventura County Jail on a massive $500,000 bail. In a rare move, the court has granted a motion to vet any bail money they provide to ensure it does not come from stolen criminal proceeds. As the Ventura County District Attorney's Office continues its prosecution, investigators are looking for additional victims who may have been targeted by this Rosemead-based duo.
Kind Joe
CRIMEApr 13, 20261 minCAMARILLO STALKER BUSTED AFTER HIDDEN GPS TRACKER FOUND IN VICTIM'S CAR
Camarillo is on edge after Samir Makram Philips, 54, was arrested for a nightmare stalking plot that has residents looking under their cars. Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance on the 5200 block of Mission Oaks Boulevard at approximately 5:58 p.m. on April 2, 2026.
Kind Joe
EMERGENCYApr 13, 20261 min60 Firefighters Snuff Out Brush Fire Near Moorpark Country Club
A brush fire nearly spiraled out of control last week right next to the Moorpark Country Club, triggering a massive emergency response. Firefighters rushed to Championship Drive after flames broke out dangerously close to high-tension power lines.
Kind Joe
CRIMEApr 13, 20262 minOXNARD KILLER LAUGHS IN COURT WHILE GETTING 94 YEARS TO LIFE
Oxnard killer Willis Nichols is heading to prison for 94 years to life after a series of cold-blooded shootings that left one father dead and several others wounded. Ventura County Superior Court Judge handed down the massive sentence on April 6, 2026, following a trial that exposed Nichols' "pattern of serious criminal behavior."
Kind Joe
CRIMEApr 10, 20261 minA REGISTERED SIMI SEX OFFENDER GETS EARLY RELEASE
Nathan Kealohakeali'i Kim, who was recently nailed for a series of horrific crimes against a minor, is already scheduled for release in May 2028.
Kind Joe
EntertainmentApr 6, 20262 minBritney Spears Photographed as Passenger During Easter Sunday Outing
Pop legend Britney Spears was seen being chauffeured through Los Angeles on Easter Sunday, marking her first major holiday appearance since a March DUI arrest.
Kind Joe
POLICYMar 25, 20262 minSimi Police Cracks Down Harder on E-Bikes
The Simi Valley Police Department has officially put E-Moto riders on notice: if you’re zipping around city streets on a high-powered electric motorcycle, you are one stop away from a tow truck. In a statement issued in March 2026, authorities highlighted a massive spike in riders treating "off-highway" electric motorcycles (E-Motos) like standard bicycles.
Kind Joe
PoliticsMar 25, 20262 minFORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR, JESSE VENTURA CALLS FOR BARRON TRUMP TO ENLIST IN THE ARMY
Jesse Ventura sparked a national debate by urging Barron Trump to enlist in the military during a broadcast appearance as President Trump's administration scales up troop deployments to the Middle East.
Kind Joe