Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Deputies from West County Patrol, Fillmore Station, responded to a report of shots fired from a moving vehicle in the area of Briggs Road, north of Santa Paula Street. Deputies checked the area and found no evidence of a weapon being fired. While checking the area, deputies made contact with officers from the California Highway Patrol who were investigating an overturned Dodge Ram in the same area. The officers advised that a large amount of narcotics, a loaded pistol magazine, and spent .40 caliber shell casings were found inside the vehicle.

On 12/31/2017, Eric Escamilla attempted to report the Dodge Ram as a stolen vehicle to the Ventura Police Department. Escamilla was unable to provide sufficient information that the vehicle was stolen. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Gang Unit conducted a follow-up investigation at Escamilla’s residence. During an interview with detectives, Escamilla admitted to driving the Dodge Ram while intoxicated and fleeing the scene after he was involved in a single vehicle traffic accident. Escamilla also admitted ownership to the narcotics, loaded pistol magazine, and spent .40 caliber shell casings found in his vehicle.

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

With disasters across the nation and most recently our fire here, it is important more now than ever to make sure we have planned accordingly.

Next week is forecasted to bring the first significant rain of the season to Ventura County. Some weather stations are predicting up to an inch of rain along the coast and up to two inches in the mountains. With the recent Thomas Fire burning away most of the ground cover in the Fillmore, Ojai, Santa Paula and the Ventura foothills, the risk of flooding and mudslides is significant.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has prepared a short video to remind residents of the danger of flooding, swift water and mudslides. The name of the video is “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” (Link below). The Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to stay away from fast moving water and to prepare in the affected areas. If anyone observes an emergency, please call 911 and DO NOT go in the water yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNv3IuMh6ek

For additional information on preparing, planning and disaster information, please visit the “Ready Ventura County” website.
http://www.readyventuracounty.org/

Bob Crum

Last week’s column generated so many questions I'm exhausted at the outset. But answer I must, at least one.

Larry G. asked: Why do I shoot so many photos? It's complicated, Larry, but mostly because the camera doesn't always understand what I want it to do so it often screws up. Seriously, have I not consistently said that great photos begin with great 'composition'? Let's recapitulate.

A few years ago, I was asked to lead a photo walk on the Mishe Makwa trail at the Circle X Ranch in the Santa Monica mountains. At the balanced rock, they stopped, raised their cameras, took a photo and promptly moved on. One and done! Good grief, a bunch of snapshooters. Aha... a prime teaching moment. After a diplomatic lecture, most began to 'look' through photographers eyes and began 'composing' photos from various perspectives. Meaning making several photos from which to choose to print later. Choices are good!

When I'm photographing a landscape, or mermaids at a misty waterfall, composition possibilities are varied. Seldom is there just ONE perfect composition. Remember my example of the Mono Lake area sand tufas? Seldom visited but on that day one other photographer arrived. I moved away and watched. A gazillion photo ops before him and all he took was a few photos and left. Snapshooter!

In a football-size area, there are many amazing and rare sand tufas of various sizes and structures. At one fascinating tufa structure, I walked a full circle around the subject. A different perspective presented itself at every point. I even got down and shot many photos from ground level. I photographed it with different lenses. Changed aperture for different depth of field. Good composition is achieved by thinking and shooting creatively. Not one and done!

Photojournalism is a different and demanding animal. Goals are to have photos tell stories: Photojournalism. The Christmas parade for example. Constant movement. When is the best time to take a shot? Where to shoot from? Go back and count the number of photos of the parade that have the Fillmore Post Office as the backdrop. Accident? Just taking photos willy-nilly? Anyone viewing the photos will know that it's a 'Fillmore' parade. Goal accomplished!

A long trailer full of football players calls for an overview photo and several close ups of the kids as it's passing by. I photographed the high school band from the middle of the road and from the sideline. A parade is a fluid, dynamic event not easy to photograph. To increase the odds multiply all the groups in the parade times five or six and you see the photo count increases quickly, by necessity. One photo will be the best of the series.

A very challenging assignment is the junior live stock auction at the VC Fair. In all the years covering this event I have never seen a pig stand still in the auction ring. Never! Photojournalism dictates attempts to tell a story with the photo. This means constantly moving to position myself so that the moving pig and the kid are both in front of the auctioneer. Try it sometime then you'll understand why it takes so many photos to increase the odds of getting 'the' one that counts. And remember, I don't delete photos unless it's really, really crappy so I have a gazillion photos archived. C'est la vie.

Photo of the week is the last rose of the season from my rose garden. True to my nature, I made 12 photos of this bloom from various perspectives. This one, with a leaf branch and bokeh won.

Happy photoing.

Send comments, questions or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Franky Magana (DOB 11/12/1985) and Omar Ruiz (DOB 07/27/1987), both of Santa Paula, were convicted of second- degree murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang for shooting and killing Ulises Virto in the city of Santa Paula. Ruiz was also convicted of assault with a firearm on a peace officer for shooting at a peace officer during his arrest five months later.

On May 27, 2013, Ulises Virto was standing on a street corner on the 400 block of Dartmouth Road in the city of Santa Paula. Magana, Ruiz, and a third unidentified gunman drove up next to Virto, exited their vehicle, and opened fire with three handguns in a gang-motivated attack. Virto was shot seven times and died at the scene. A Santa Paula Police Department officer intercepted and pursued the three gunmen as they fled the scene in their vehicle. During the high-speed chase, all three guns and other evidence were tossed from the vehicle. Soon thereafter, the car temporarily stopped to let Magana exit and flee on foot. The officer chased Magana on foot and quickly took him into custody. Ruiz and the unidentified gunman continued to flee in the vehicle, eventually abandoning it two blocks away. On November 7, 2013, Ruiz was tracked down by Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies to an address on the 5300 block of Holly Ridge Drive in the city of Camarillo. From within the home, Ruiz watched on a closed-circuit surveillance system as deputies approached the residence. Ruiz fired on the deputies with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle until the gun jammed. After a brief stand-off, Ruiz was taken into custody. No deputies were injured during the assault.

All the evidence thrown from the vehicle, including the three guns, as well as other evidence seized at the crime scene, were forensically analyzed and connected to Ruiz and Magana.

Magana and Ruiz will be sentenced on March 26, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 45 of the Ventura Superior Court, County of Ventura. Both will be facing life sentences.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Chris Gallegos (DOB 6/6/1997), of Ventura, along with two juvenile males have been charged in the murder of Joseph Cruz committed on December 25, 2017, in the city of Ventura. Gallegos and the two juveniles are charged with committing the murder with the use of a knife, and in association with and for the benefit of a criminal street gang. The case was investigated by the Ventura Police Department.

Gallegos has pled not guilty to the charge and special allegations. A court hearing has been scheduled for Gallegos on January 31, 2018, and he remains in custody at the Ventura County jail in lieu of $1,110,000 bail. The arraignment for the two juveniles was continued to February 6, 2018. They remain detained and their next hearing will be held at the Juvenile Justice Center. A motion to transfer the juvenile cases to adult court has been filed by the District Attorney’s Office.

Ventura County Department of Public Health

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today announced that flu activity in California is widespread and at levels usually seen at the peak of the influenza season. Health officials encourage Californians to get vaccinated.

“With the increase in influenza impacting many communities across the entire state, it is important to get a flu shot now if you have not done so already,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “Although influenza season usually peaks between December and February, flu activity can occur as late as May, which means it is not too late to get vaccinated.”

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to respond fully. Vaccine effectiveness does vary for the different strains and year by year. Data will be available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in February about vaccine effectiveness.

“Vaccination will prevent infection in a large number of cases. If disease does occur after vaccination, the vaccine can reduce the severity of flu symptoms,” said Dr. Smith. "Getting the flu shot is still the best way to protect yourself and others from flu.”

Some people are at high risk for serious flu-related complications that can lead to hospitalization and even death including:
• Pregnant women
• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• People 65 years of age and older
• People who have certain medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.

For those at high risk of serious flu complications, getting vaccinated is especially important. It is also important for caregivers of anyone at high risk including children younger than 6 months, who are too young to get a flu vaccine.
Individuals in a high-risk group that experience symptoms of flu (fever, chills and feeling very tired accompanied by sore throat, muscle or body aches, headaches, or nasal congestion), should contact their health care provider early in the illness. Antiviral drugs can be prescribed by a physician, and work best if started within two days of getting sick. Individuals who are not in high risk groups and who have mild illness typically do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. These individuals should stay home and avoid contact with other people. Anyone who experiences more severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, difficulty eating or drinking, or confusion should contact their health care provider or seek emergency care.

To stop the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses, you should also:
• Stay home while sick and limit contact with others
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or disposable tissue
• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

CDPH closely tracks influenza and posts updated information on the CDPH Influenza website at the end of the work week. As of the most recent report, for the week ending December 30, 2017, 27 influenza-associated deaths in persons under 65 years of age were reported to CDPH. Only influenza deaths in persons less than 65 years are reported to CDPH so the total number of deaths due to influenza is higher.

Flu vaccine is available in many locations, including doctors’ offices, health departments, pharmacies, health centers and travel clinics, as well as at many employers and schools. Use the HealthMap Vaccine Finder at to find the nearest location where you and your family can get vaccinated.

For more information about influenza, visit CDPH’s website.

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Dean Michael Poe (DOB 04/28/65), of Ventura, was sentenced to serve 120 days in jail and placed on formal probation for three years for his role in causing a 2014 explosion at Santa Clara Waste Water Company (“SCWWC”). This case was jointly prosecuted by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office. On March 24, 2017, Poe pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to dispose of hazardous waste.

Poe was the former vice president of Oil and Gas Sales for SCWWC. On November 18, 2014, an explosion occurred at the SCWWC facility located at 815 Mission Rock Road in Santa Paula. Numerous employees as well as first responders were injured either by the initial explosion or by inhaling a toxic cloud of chlorine gas generated by the illegal disposal of hazardous chemicals that were present on site. In June 2014, Poe provided samples from SCWWC to a local environmental laboratory for testing. In July 2014, Poe was told by lab personnel that testing results for samples he provided for chemical analysis indicated the substances were hazardous waste. Poe failed to take any corrective action at SCWWC when he learned of these hazardous waste results and did not report this information to regulatory authorities.

In addition to the jail sentence, Poe was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, and victim restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court. Under the terms of his probation, Poe is prohibited from any employment involving the collection of laboratory samples to be used for waste testing.