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News release – 12/16/2011

Archives for December 2011


Jeri Williams
Chief of Police		 Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT  Murder suspect arrested
DATE/TIME  December 16, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.
LOCATION  800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura
VICTIM(S)  Steven Proefrock, 51, Oxnard resident
SUSPECT  Dominic Pinkard, 31, Oxnard resident
PREPARED BY  Detective Bakari  Myers (805) 385-7686
bakarimyers@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT  Mónica Muñoz Community Affairs Manager  / PIO
(805) 385-7631 monica.munoz@oxnardpd.org

On January 3, 2011, Oxnard police officers responded to a call of a family dispute at 300 Lafayette Drive. Officers arrived on scene and located the victim, Steven Proefrock, who was suffering from severe head injuries. Proefrock was taken to Ventura County Medical Center where he was placed on life support. Proefrock was eventually transferred to a long-term care facility in Santa Barbara where he remained until his death in September 2011.
 
The Santa Barbara coroner reviewed Proefrock’s medical records and determined that he died as a result of the injuries he sustained in January. Oxnard PD investigators identified Dominic Pinkard as the suspect who was responsible for Proefrock’s injuries. On December 16 Oxnard investigators arrested Pinkard for Proefrock’s murder. Pinkard was already in custody at the Ventura County jail on unrelated charges. 
 
No additional information related to this investigation will be released at this time as the investigation is continuing.
 
If anyone has any information about this incident, they are encouraged to call Oxnard PD at (805) 385-7740 or Detective Bakari Myers at (805) 385-7686. 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 http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or email.
 
 
 

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DATE / TIME PREPARED:12/16/11 at 5 p.m.
 


Jeri Williams
Chief of Police		 Oxnard Police Department

R. Jason Benites
Assistant Chief

Scott Whitney
Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT  Brandishing a weapon 417 PC, false imprisonment 236 PC, barricaded subject
DATE/TIME  December 17, 2011 at 12:10 p.m.
LOCATION  500 block of West Hill Street, Oxnard
VICTIM(S)  Octavio Hernandez, 42, Oxnard resident
Three juveniles ages 3, 10, and 13
SUSPECT  Leonardo Ramirez, 11/6/1975 Oxnard resident
PREPARED BY  Detective Steven F. Funk (805) 385-7796
CONTACT  Mónica Muñoz Community Affairs Manager  / PIO
(805) 385-7631 monica.munoz@oxnardpd.org

On December 17, 2011 at about noon, Leonardo Ramirez was outside of the residence located in the 500 block of West Hill Street waiting for Octavio Hernandez to arrive. Ramirez owed Hernandez money from a previous business arrangement. As Hernandez arrived, Ramirez pulled a semi-auto handgun from his waistband and pointed it directly at Hernandez.
 
Ramirez ran into the residence in the 500 block of West Hill Street where he held three juvenile children (unrelated to him) inside of a bedroom. Ramirez was still in possession of the handgun and held the children for about an hour prior to releasing them to the patrol officers who were outside.
 
Oxnard patrol officers, SWAT officers with the armored police vehicle, and hostage negotiators were sent to the location as suspect Ramirez barricaded himself inside of the bedroom. There were many attempts to contact Ramirez but all met with negative results.
 
SWAT officers eventually deployed several diversionary devices into the residence and at about 4 p.m. Ramirez walked to the front door and gave himself up and was taken into custody without incident.
 
None of the hostages were injured including Ramirez.
 
The weapon Ramirez used in the incident was eventually recovered inside of the residence.
 
The investigation is ongoing.If anyone has any information about this incident, they are encouraged to call Oxnard PD at (805) 385-7740 or Detective Steve Funk at (805) 385-7796. 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.
 
 

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DATE / TIME PREPARED:  12/17/2011, 7 p.m.