Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Sheriff Bill Ayub has released the 2021 crime statistics for all areas served by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. The report shows a 5% overall increase in Part I crimes, as defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting statistics of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In 2021, the number of incidents involving violent crimeincreased 3%. Property crimes increased 5%, while residential burglaries showed a decrease of 10%. Changes in crime trends became evident throughout the year, and some could be attributed to our communities transitioning out of the pandemic. During the pandemic, we saw some of our crime statistics sharply decline due in part to more people being home and many businesses having reduced activities. In 2021, our crime statistics began a return to pre-pandemic levels while remaining at historic lows.

“Suppressing crime requires continuous vigilance, adaptive strategies, and a strong relationship with the public we serve,” said Sheriff Bill Ayub. “Steady increases in organized thieves entering our county from surrounding areas to commit catalytic converter thefts, organized retail theft, and commercial burglaries have driven the increase in reported property crimes. We remain committed to continuously adjusting our approach to address and defeat emerging crime trends.”

The UCR report can be found here: https://s29762.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sheriff-Year-End-UCR-2... Each geographical area in Ventura County is unique, and crime trends vary from city to city.

Nature of Incident: Sheriff releases 2021 crime statistics
Prepared by: Captain Cameron Henderson
Approved by: Sheriff Bill Ayub

Central and Main Streets circa 1970s.
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Central and Main Streets today.
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Church of Religious Science circa 1972, which was founded by Reverend Mildred Hinckley, and was located on River Street in Fillmore.
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Article from the Fillmore Herald March 16th 1972 reading “The Junior Girl Scouts point to their interesting window display in the Patterson Hardware store window to celebrate Girl Scout Week. From left are Shanna KcKeown, Troop 115; Lori Elkins, Troop 523; Shanna KcKeown, Troop 115 and Donna Viscioni. Donna’s father was the artist and sign maker for this project. (Herald Photo).
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This article was compiled by Rachel Fernandez who attends California State University Channel Islands and is interning at the Fillmore Historical Museum.

Although times have changed, some things never change and history does tend to repeat itself. We see below what was happening in the city of Fillmore 50 and 100 years ago in March of 1922 and March of 1972 and can then make our own comparisons to the world and city of Fillmore today in March of 2022.

50 Years Ago - March 1972:
On March 9, 1972, it was reported that tropical weather and lack of rain was hurting farmers. The temperature was a record-breaking 90 degrees. Fruit was also growing smaller than usual due to the lack of rain. This particular month of March was known as the seventh driest March in a span of 67 years.

March 12, 1972 marked the beginning of Girl Scout Week. This week paid homage to the first troops which started in Savannah, Georgia in 1912. The Girl Scouts had very fun activities planned during the week which included Girl Scout Sunday, Homemaking Day, Citizenship Day, Health and Safety Day, International Friendship Day, Day for Arts, as well as Out of Doors Day. Some of the girls listed were Kenny McKeown, Lori Elkins, Shanna McKeown, and Donna Viscioni.

It was published in the paper on March 16th, 1972 that Jeanine Richie Boon and Vernal Williams were the first couple to get married in the Church of Religious Science. The church was newly built at the time, founded by Reverend Mildred Hinckley and designed by Elmer Devore. The church was located on River Street. The congregation no longer exists today since its closure in the early 2000’s, but the building is now a preschool and child care center.

100 Years Ago - March 1922:
On March 3, 1922 there was a search for the unknown killer of Adolfo Escota. However, a suspect was named which was Luiz Cabral, who was never charged. Escota was said to have owed Cabral a sum of money. On March 10, 1922 there was another killing reported in which the victim was named Charles Atencio. The killer at the time had escaped but on April 7, 1922, he was identified and sentenced. His name was Augustine Cabral, whom we could find no relation to Luiz Cabral. However, he only pleaded guilty to one of the murders, that of Atencio. His attorney was named James Holingsworth.

100 years ago, there was an ongoing pandemic: the “Spanish” Influenza. By March of 1922 the influenza was nearing its end. Originally beginning in 1918, the cases reported in 1922 were mostly mild cases and far less than in 1918. At the time there were only a thousand cases reported in all of California. The influenza finally came to an end later in the year of 1922. One of the more known names in Fillmore who succumbed to the influenza was Vinnie Hinckley, daughter of Dr. J.P. Hinckley. She was only fifteen.

The prohibition era hit Ventura County before the 1920’s. As early as 1903, anti-saloon ordinances were being passed. On March 17, 1922 it was published that Colonel Dan Morgan Smith made an address in Fillmore. Col. Morgan Smith was known for being the commander of the Battalion of Death in WWI. Colonel Morgan Smith led his battalion in France and went into battle with 1120 men and came out with only 327 men. Although he was known for leading the Battalion of Death, he gave an address in Fillmore about prohibition under the auspices of the Anti-Saloon League and advocated for the approval of the Wright Bill which was a bill that would determine the fate of prohibition in California.

Almost 50,000 years ago, a meteor struck what is now known today as Winslow, Arizona. In the year 1903, miners began to try and locate the main body of that meteor. Local Fillmore men were a part of the crew trying to locate the body of it. These men included Ross Buckman, Isaac Wammock and his son, as well as Leslie Carter. Fragments of the main body were found at a depth of 1000 feet. This crater is still to this day one of the most well-preserved meteor craters in the world.

City Council discussed Ordinance 22-937 to prohibit accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units in very high fire hazards zones. Above is a map of Fillmore highlighting the high fire hazard severity zone, which was shown at last night’s meeting.
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7.A PUPLIC HEARING: CONSIDERATION OF ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT 22-01, ORDINANCE 22-937, TO PROHIBIT ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS IN THE VERY HIGH FIRE HAZARD ZONE AND FINDING OF EXEMPTION FROM CEQA Vote - Approved, 3-0. (MEMBER MARK AUSTIN AND MAYOR PRO TEM LYNN EDMONDS NEEDED TO RECUSE THEMSELVES SINCE THEY LIVE IN AREA)

7.B AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE ONE PUBLIC WORKS AND FACILITIES DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE VEHICLE.
Vote: 5-0 Approved.

7.C 3 YEAR LEASE WITH MENDOCINO RAILWAY FOR THE RAILROAD “TICKET BOOTH” BUILDING.
Vote: 5-0 Approved.

City Council discussed Ordinance 22-937 to prohibit accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units in very high fire hazards zones. Above is a map of Fillmore highlighting the high fire hazard severity zone, which was shown at last night’s meeting.

On Saturday, April 9th 11:30am, in the alley next to the Fillmore Police/Sheriff Station, the City of Fillmore will honor of Max Pina, Fillmore Police SGT., VCSO Deputy and City of Fillmore Resource Officer, for his decades of service with the citizens and youth of Fillmore. Thank you to Fillmore City Manager Dave Rowlands and Fillmore Police Chief Capt. Garo Kuredjian for their support and suggestions that helped with the location and décor of the sign. The Mayor
and Fillmore City Council Members, along with Ventura County Sheriff and Undersheriff, will be attending. Please join Max’s family and friends at the celebration!

Dave and Crackers ready to hit the road for their cruise.
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By Carina Monica Montoya

It’s anything but a dog’s life for this pooch. His name is Crackers, known around town as “the dog riding in the back of a convertible Mercedes”. Crackers is a 9-year-old Jack Russell terrier that literally knocked on Dave Andersen’s door one night in 2014. He was hungry, thirsty, and alone. Dave and his wife fed him and gave him a comfortable bed to sleep before taking him to the Fillmore Animal Hospital the next morning to find out if he was microchipped. Although he was microchipped in Oklahoma and the information listed his birth date as November 2012, he was not registered and there was no one to contact. Days passed and no one claimed to be missing a dog. The rest is history.

Standing at about 15 inches tall and weighing 14 pounds with a broken coat, which means his coat is a combination of a rough double coat and wiry fur, he is built for sports such as surfing. Crackers’s skills are as good as the likes of Duke Kahanamoku, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, who is known for his incredible balance and coordination on a surfboard, except Crackers’s incredible balance and coordination skills are riding on top of a convertible roof cover. It really is not as easy as it looks. With his little hip-width ratio distributing weight equally between both legs, gravity’s pull is what keeps Crackers in position while he rides on the vehicle in motion. It’s all science. Newton’s law of motion describes movement of matter which contributes to maneuverings and the ability to stay atop something without falling, not to mention the fact that Crackers is always securely tethered down.

Most people are delighted to watch Crackers surf the streets of Fillmore. With approximately 300 million olfactory receptors in his nose, he can catch all the smells in the air, and he enjoys the feel of being outdoors with the wind running through his fur, and clocking miles without having to actually run them.

The Scottish believe that if a stray dog follows you or enters your home, it is a sign of new friendship to come, one that will be faithful, sincere, and caring. This is what Crackers has been to the Andersens and what the Andersens have been to Crackers. He shares the Andersen’s home with Sophie, a rather large 35-pound Yorkie mix. Together they patrol the property, but Crackers has proven to be more of a guard dog so Dave promoted him as director of security.

Dave, a longtime farmer originally from Monterey, first moved to Los Angeles where he met his wife. After his son was born, the Andersens relocated to Fillmore in 1998 because of its wide-open space, country-feel, country-hospitality, and friendly people. It was the perfect place to raise a child and build a business in agriculture marketing, buying and selling fruits and vegetables from the farm to buyers around the country.

Fillmore has been a wonderful place for the Andersens to settle and call home, and Crackers couldn’t have picked a better house to choose for his new forever home.