Archives for October 2016

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Oxnard Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day
DATE/TIME:	October 13, 2016
PREPARED BY:	Eric S. Sonstegard, Assistant Police Chief
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Eric S. Sonstegard, Assistant Police Chief (805) 385-7801 eric.sonstegard@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS: On Tuesday evening, Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney accepted a proclamation from the Oxnard City Council proclaiming October 13, 2016, as “Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day.” The proclamation stated that “the safety of our community depends on how we keep our homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and communities secure from violence” and “crime and fear of crime destroys our trust in others and in civic institutions threatening the community’s health, prosperity and quality of life.” The city of Oxnard recognizes October 13^th as “Community Safety and Anti-Violence Day” after the tragic death of Alfonso Limon Jr on October 13, 2012. Limon was an innocent bystander shot and killed by Oxnard police officers after they mistook him for a suspect involved in a shootout with police after a traffic stop.

The Oxnard Police Department has continued to use lessons learned from the tragic incident to make improvements throughout the organization. After the death of Alfonso Limon, the City agreed to review and consider equipping officers with body-worn cameras (BWC). Earlier this year, the Department deployed fifty (50) BWC systems to a select group of patrol officers. In June, the Oxnard City Council allocated $220,000 in Measure “O” funds to purchase one-hundred (100) additional BWC systems with the intent to outfit all Oxnard police officers that work in the community with a body-worn camera. It is anticipated that all one-hundred and fifty (150) BWC systems will be fully deployed by the end of 2016.

The Oxnard Police Department will also be looking to partner with community-based organizations in the coming weeks to fund programs designed to combat drug abuse, divert gang activity, and reduce violence. Information about the funding will be released shortly with the intent to cause the development and continuation of positive intervention programs for high-risk elementary and secondary school age students. “We pride ourselves on being a learning agency,” added Chief Scott Whitney, “We will never shy away from the past. We will learn from tragedies and make our department better and our community safer.”

DATE / TIME PREPARED: 10/12/2016, 1700 hours

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	National Walk to School Day (Oxnard)
DATE/TIME:	October 5, 2016 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
LOCATION:	Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Lemonwood Elementary, Rio Lindo Elementary, and Haycox Elementary
PREPARED BY:	Jamie Brown, Traffic Coordinator
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Jamie Brown, Traffic Coordinator (805) 385-7749 jamie.brown@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:

Oxnard, CA– Oxnard, Rio, and Hueneme School Districts will join schools from around the country to celebrate National Walk to School Day on October 5, 2016, in partnership with the Oxnard Police Department to send unified traffic safety messages to our community.

Students from Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Lemonwood Elementary, Rio Elementary, and Haycox Elementary will be walking and biking to school on October 5^th along with parents, teachers, and community leaders. Members of the Oxnard Police Department will also join the walk and will be deploying traffic/school officers to the neighborhoods near schools to enforce traffic laws, reminding everyone the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety this day and every day.

The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. with students, parents and community leaders walking from neighborhoods to schools. Walkers and bicyclists will arrive at the schools at 7:45 a.m. While walking with the students, officers will discuss pedestrian/bicycle safety, and safe routes to school.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling. It also emphasizes the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. The events build connections between law enforcement, families, schools, and the broader community.

The event is being organized by the Oxnard Police Department and the four schools participating in the walk. This event is part of the police department’s on-going effort to increase traffic safety through its many traffic safety operations such as pedestrian/bicycle enforcement operations and Start Smart classes for young drivers.

For additional local information, please contact Senior Officer Jamie Brown at 805-385-7749.

Important Safety Reminders
For Pedestrians:
·         Walk on a sidewalk or path when one is available.
·         If no sidewalk or path is available, walk on the shoulder, facing traffic.
·         Stay alert. Don’t be distracted by electronic devices, including smart phones, MP3 players, and other devices that take your eyes (and ears) off the road.
·         Be cautious night and day when sharing the road with vehicles. Never assume a driver sees you (he or she could be distracted, under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, or just not see you). Make eye contact with drivers as they approach.
·         Be predictable. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections when possible. This is where drivers expect pedestrians.
·         If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area, wait for a gap in traffic that allows you enough time to cross safely, and continue to watch for traffic as you cross.
·         Be visible. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.

For Drivers:
·         Look for pedestrians everywhere. Pedestrians may not be walking where they should be or may be hard to see—especially in poor lit conditions, including dusk/dawn/night and poor weather.
·         Always stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk or where pedestrian crosswalk signs are posted.
·         Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. They may be stopped to allow pedestrians to cross the street.
·         Slow down and look for pedestrians. Be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.
·         Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
·         Follow the speed limit; slow down around pedestrians.
·         Stay focused and slow down where children may be present, like school zones and neighborhoods.

For additional information, please visit these websites:
Walk to School Day in the USA – www.walkbiketoschool.org
National Center for Safe Routes to School – www.saferoutesinfo.org

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Road Closure for Injury Accident
DATE/TIME:	October 1, 2016 / 12:29 P.M.
LOCATION:	Saviers Rd. – North and southbound lanes from Bard Rd. to Bryce Canyon
VICTIM(S):
SUSPECT(S):
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Bakari Myers (805) 385-7600 Bakari.myers@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Ricardo Vazquez (805) 385-7600 ricardo.vazquez@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:
Officers are currently at the scene of an injury accident at the intersection of Saviers Rd. and Yucca St. The north and southbound lanes of Saviers Rd. are closed from Bard Rd. north to Bryce Canyon.

Motorists should seek an alternate route when driving into the area. There is currently no time estimate for when the lanes will be reopened

DATE / TIME PREPARED: October 1, 2016 / 1:35 P.M.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Fatal Traffic Collision Involving Gold Coast Transit Bus vs. Pedestrian
DATE/TIME:	October 1, 2016 / 12:29 P.M.
LOCATION:	Saviers Rd. at Yucca St.
VICTIM(S):	Withheld
SUSPECT(S):	N/A
WITNESS(ES):
SUSPECT VEHICLE(S):
LOSS:
PREPARED BY:	Bakari Myers (805) 385-7600 Bakari.myers@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Ricardo Vazquez (805) 385-7600 ricardo.vazquez@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:
Officers are currently at the scene of a fatal traffic collision involving a Gold Coast Transit bus and a pedestrian. The north and southbound lanes of Saviers Rd. are closed from Bard Rd. north to Bryce Canyon. The investigation is continuing.

Motorists should seek an alternate route when driving into the area. There is currently no time estimate for when the lanes will be reopened.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: October 1, 2016 / 1:35 P.M.

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Two Suspects Arrested Following Armed Robbery
DATE/TIME:	October 2, 2016 / 1950 hours
LOCATION:	5100 Block of Longfellow Way, Oxnard
SUSPECT(S):	Joshua Faagogo, 18 years, Oxnard Resident Richard Chairez, 20 years, Oxnard Resident
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Brian Woolley (805) 385-7600
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Sergeant Brian Woolley (805) 385-7600 brian.woolley@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:
On October 2, 2016, at approximately 7:50 p.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to the 5100 block of Longfellow Way in reference to an armed robbery that just occurred. During the investigation, officers learned that the two suspects, one of them armed with a handgun, approached the victims and demanded property. Following the robbery, the two suspects fled the scene with the victims’ property.

As responding officers were searching the area, one officer saw two individuals matching the suspects’ description near the intersection of Justin Way and Rubens Place. One of the suspects, Richard Chairez, immediately fled from the officer and was detained a short distance away. The other, Joshua Faagogo, was taken into custody after he discarded a loaded, semi-automatic handgun. Officers found that Faagogo and Chairez were in possession of the property taken during the robbery. Faagogo and Chairez were arrested and charged with offenses related to the armed robbery and possession of stolen property. They were booked into the Ventura County jail.

In an effort to address the increase in firearms-related crimes, the Oxnard Police Department launched the Operation Safer and Stronger Initiative, as well as the Firearms Strike Team (FAST) led by the Violent Crimes Unit, to proactively remove firearms from prohibited persons within the city. The objective of this initiative and FAST is to reduce gun violence in Oxnard through education, intervention, and enforcement.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: September 3, 2016 / 0130 hours

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Fatal Traffic Collision involving a Pedestrian
DATE/TIME:	October 1, 2016 / 12:29 p.m.
LOCATION:	Saviers Road at Yucca Street
VEHICLE:	Gold Coast Transit Bus
PEDESTRIAN:	Raul German Vargas, Oxnard Resident
PREPARED BY:	Ricardo Vazquez, Traffic Sergeant (805) 385-7847 ricardo.vazquez@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Michael Wood, Traffic Officer (805) 200-5668 michael.wood@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:

On October 1, 2016, at about 12:29 p.m., officers from the Oxnard Police Department and EMS personnel responded to the area of Saviers Road and Yucca Street regarding a fatal traffic collision involving a Gold Coast Transit bus and an 85-year-old pedestrian identified as Raul German Vargas. Preliminary investigation indicates that as the driver of the Gold Coast Transit bus approached a bus stop southbound on Saviers Road north of Yucca Street, Vargas, who was on the sidewalk, somehow stumbled into the roadway and under the right side of the bus. EMS attempted to render aid however Vargas succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the collision.

Alcohol and/or drugs are not believed to be factors in the collision. The collision is still under investigation.

If anyone has information about this collision, please contact Traffic Officer Michael Wood at 805-200-5668 or via email at michael.wood@oxnardpd.org.

DATE / TIME PREPARED: October 1, 2016 / 7:30 p.m.