Ventura County
Articles
Latest Ventura County stories — newest first.
CrimeSep 1, 20263 minSanta Paula Man Sentenced to 29 Years to Life for Multi-Year Child Abuse
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced on August 31, 2026, that 42-year-old Jaime Torres of Santa Paula was sentenced to 29 years to life in state prison. Torres was convicted by a jury in June for continuously molesting a young female relative over a six-year span in Santa Paula and Oxnard. Prosecutors emphasized that Torres severely abused a position of trust.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMESep 1, 20264 minTeen Arrested for Attempted Murder After Stray Bullet Hits Innocent Restaurant Worker
Oxnard Police Department investigators arrested a 16-year-old juvenile suspect following an August 28, 2026, shooting outside Five Guys Burgers at The Collection in Oxnard. The victim, identified as 19-year-old Ventura College student-athlete Jonathan "JJ" Vasquez Jr., was on a break during his work shift when a stray bullet fired during an outdoor dispute struck him. Vasquez remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit, while his community rallies behind a growing online recovery fund.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 31, 20263 minVisiting Family Member Arrested in Santa Paula for Child Molestation of 7-Year-Old Victim
Santa Paula Police Department detectives arrested 63-year-old David Salvador on Saturday, August 22, 2026, following allegations that he molested a 7-year-old female relative while visiting from out of the country. Ventura County prosecutors formally arraigned Salvador on August 25 on felony charges of lewd acts with a child, unlawful acts with a victim under 10, and burglary. Salvador is currently held in county custody without bail as investigators seek potential additional victims.
Lana J. Yang
Public SafetyAug 31, 20263 minSearch Underway for Missing 80-Year-Old Veteran Harold Lynn Murray Near Simi Valley
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is seeking public assistance in locating 80-year-old military veteran Harold Lynn Murray, who was last seen leaving his residence on August 20, 2026. Deputies recovered Murray's suspicious vehicle in the 4600 block of Tapo Canyon Road in unincorporated Simi Valley on August 28. Despite extensive ground and aerial sweeps by Sheriff's Search and Rescue and Aviation units, Murray remains missing.
Lana J. Yang
Local NewsAug 31, 20263 minDriver Survives 75-Foot Cliff Fall at Mugu Rock Along Pacific Coast Highway
California Highway Patrol officers and Ventura County Fire Department personnel responded to a dramatic single-vehicle crash over the weekend along State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) near Mugu Rock. Investigators report a 37-year-old Oxnard man driving a 2006 Honda Accord at high speed veered off the roadway and plunged 75 feet down a coastal cliff onto the rocky shoreline. Rescuers safely extricated the driver, who miraculously suffered only minor injuries.
Lana J. Yang
CrimeAug 31, 20264 minOxnard Man Sentenced to Jail and Probation for Violent Domestic Assault and Restraining Order Violations
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, that 32-year-old Armando Liborio De La Mora of Oxnard was sentenced to 365 days in county jail and formal domestic violence probation. De La Mora pleaded guilty to five domestic violence offenses, including two felony counts of inflicting corporal injury on a girlfriend and felony false imprisonment, following a violent May 2025 attack and subsequent protective order violations.
Lana J. Yang
Local NewsAug 28, 20265 minCalifornia Firearms Law Updates & Ventura County Enforcement Action Summary
Recent California legislative updates under Assembly Bill 1948 will extend standard Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license terms from two to three years beginning January 1, 2027, alongside local Ventura County Sheriff mandates requiring new Livescan fingerprints for upcoming renewals starting September 1, 2026. This comprehensive law enforcement update details current state licensing procedures alongside recent local criminal interdictions involving illegal high-capacity magazines, stolen firearms, untraceable ghost guns, and violent street brandishing incidents across Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Santa Paula.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 27, 20263 minOjai Pastor and Massage Therapist Charged with Child Molestation Involving Multiple Young Victims
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced six felony child abuse counts against 58-year-old David Johnson of Ojai on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Authorities allege Johnson, who worked as a pastor and licensed massage therapist, engaged in continuous sexual abuse and lewd acts against two children under the age of 14 over several years at locations in Ojai and Oxnard. Johnson pleaded not guilty and remains held in custody without bail.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 27, 20263 minSpecial Enforcement Unit Arrests Intoxicated Driver with Loaded Glock and Extended 34-Round Magazine in Oxnard
Oxnard Police Department Special Enforcement Unit officers arrested 61-year-old Oxnard resident Russell Johnson on Wednesday afternoon, August 26, 2026, following a traffic stop in the 100 block of Kohala Street. Officers determined Johnson was driving under the influence of a controlled substance and recovered a loaded Glock 17 equipped with an illegal high-capacity 34-round magazine inside his vehicle.
Lana J. Yang
CrimeAug 26, 20264 minPort Hueneme Driver Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder After Using Vehicle to Strike Young Bicyclists
Port Hueneme resident Samuel Matthew Rocha, 33, entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder on Monday, August 24, 2026, for the April 2021 vehicular attack that killed 16-year-old bicyclist Pedro Valdez. District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the plea, which follows a April jury trial where Rocha was convicted of multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon and battery. Rocha faces up to 27 years to life in state prison.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 26, 20264 minDriveway Drone Dispute Escalates to Pointed Firearm Threat and Gun Seizure in Simi Valley
Simi Valley Police Department officers arrested a 44-year-old resident Tuesday night, August 25, 2026, following an argument over a crashed drone in the 6400 block of Keystone Street. Authorities allege the suspect drew a black semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and threatened to shoot a visitor attempting to retrieve the device. Serving a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO), police seized seven firearms and a large quantity of ammunition.
Lana J. Yang
Local NewsAug 26, 20263 minSanta Paula Opens Public Cooling Center at Community Center Amid Extended Summer Heat Wave
In response to persistent high temperatures and an active regional heat advisory across Ventura County, the City of Santa Paula has opened a designated public cooling center at the Santa Paula Community Center on West Main Street. The facility operates Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., offering air conditioning, cold drinking water, public restrooms, and free Wi-Fi to protect vulnerable residents from extreme heat risks.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 26, 20263 minOxnard Gang Member Convicted of Murder While on Parole Faces Up to 110 Years to Life
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, that an Oxnard jury convicted 37-year-old Omar Romo of murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and illegal firearm possession for the 2023 fatal shooting of Oscar Rodriguez. Romo, a documented gang member who was on parole and wearing a GPS ankle monitor during the killing, faces 110 years to life in state prison when sentenced in October.
Lana J. Yang
CrimeAug 25, 20263 minHawaii Man Held on $2 Million Bail Following Brutal Blunt-Force Attempted Murder in Santa Paula
Santa Paula Police Department officers and detectives arrested 35-year-old Christopher Lample of Honolulu, Hawaii, following a severe blunt-force assault on a 65-year-old woman in the 18000 block of East Telegraph Road on Thursday morning, August 20, 2026. Lample fled the scene in a motor vehicle, but investigators used Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology to track his escape route. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies intercepted and arrested Lample in Goleta just 80 minutes later as he allegedly attempted to reach a regional airport to flee the state.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 25, 20264 minSimi Valley Man Charged in Alleged $100,000 Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme Targeting 89-Year-Old Veteran
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced felony elder fraud charges against 26-year-old William Bao Khoa Ly of Simi Valley on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Authorities allege Ly befriended an 89-year-old Thousand Oaks resident at a local fast-food restaurant under the guise of providing technical assistance, then used the victim's phone PIN to execute 91 unauthorized transfers totaling nearly $100,000 into personal cryptocurrency accounts.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 24, 20264 minRepeat Shoplifting Suspects Arrested Following Coordinated Target Store Investigation in Camarillo
Patrol deputies and detectives with the Camarillo Police Station arrested a Los Angeles couple on Friday, August 21, 2026, following an investigation into repeated organized retail thefts at the Target shopping center on West Ventura Boulevard. John Sobodash, 60, and Helen Sobodash, 64, were taken into custody after store loss prevention and law enforcement units intercepted their vehicle, recovering $1,500 in stolen merchandise, crack cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 24, 20263 minArmed 17-Year-Old Arrested in Oxnard After Directed Patrol Recovers Stolen Shotgun
Oxnard Police Department patrol officers arrested a 17-year-old male early Sunday morning, August 23, 2026, during a directed enforcement sweep in the 500 block of North Roosevelt Avenue. Officers spotted the juvenile carrying a loaded shotgun, disarmed him following a brief physical confrontation, and confirmed the weapon had been reported stolen, resulting in multiple weapons charges and resisting arrest.
Lana J. Yang
Local NewsAug 24, 20263 minRural Structure Fire In Orchard Northwest of Fillmore Claims Avocado Storage Building
Ventura County Fire Department and Fillmore Fire Department crews responded to a heavily involved rural structure fire in an avocado orchard along the 1500 block of Oak Avenue on Friday morning, August 21, 2026. Arriving units utilized specialized water tender apparatus to supply water to the remote site, successfully knocking down the flames within 28 minutes. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
Lana J. Yang
CRIMEAug 24, 20263 minOxnard Driver Arrested with Untraceable Ghost Gun, Narcotics, and Illegal Fireworks Following Nighttime Traffic Stop
Oxnard Police Department patrol officers arrested 32-year-old Oxnard resident Ricardo Quezada on Sunday night, August 23, 2026, following a targeted traffic stop near Portal Way and Hill Street. Officers investigating illegal fireworks activity in the neighborhood located an un-serialized 9mm Polymer 80 "ghost gun," illicit narcotics, and illegal pyrotechnics inside Quezada's vehicle, resulting in multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
Lana J. Yang
CrimeAug 20, 20263 minTrained Police K9 Uncovers Hidden Ghost Gun and Stolen Pistol in Santa Paula Probation Search
Santa Paula Police Department patrol officers deployed a specialized firearms-detection K9 during a probation search in the 200 block of West Harvard Boulevard on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Officers arrested 29-year-old Jose Herrera of Santa Paula after the police dog alerted handlers to uniquely concealed handguns, including an illegal untraceable ghost gun and a reported stolen pistol. Herrera is currently held on $500,000 bail.
Lana J. Yang