Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 01/09/2023, a victim, driving her vehicle out of the extreme weather conditions in the unincorporated area of Ventura County at South Mountain Road / Balcom Canyon Road, became stranded in the mud and water. The victim was forced to evacuate and abandon her vehicle, leaving several personal items behind, including credit cards.

The next day, the victim’s bank alerted her to fraudulent credit card activity in excess of $1,800.00 made using the stolen credit cards at several businesses in the surrounding area. An unknown suspect had entered the abandoned vehicle, stole the victims credit cards, and made several fraudulent purchases at local businesses.

Detectives assigned to the Santa Clara Valley Station obtained video of the suspects making these fraudulent purchases. Detectives were able to visually identify both suspects as Fillmore resident Rodrigo Estrada aka Rodrigo Perez and Santa Paula resident Pedro Chavez.

On 01/25/2023, Pedro Chavez was contacted and arrested in the city of Fillmore without incident. On 01/30/2023, Rodrigo Estrada aka Rodrigo Perez was contacted in the city of Santa Paula and he was arrested without incident. A search warrant of the vehicle driven by the suspects was obtained and numerous items purchased with the stolen credit cards were recovered.

Both parties were arrested and booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trail Detention Facility for violations of California Penal Code 530.5 (a) / Identity Theft and 182 (a) (1) / Conspiracy to Commit a Crime and 496 (a) / Receiving Stolen Property.

Pedro Chavez remains in custody with his bail set at $50.000.00. His court date is 01/31/2023. Rodrigo Estrada aka Rodrigo Perez also remains in custody with his bail set at $50.000.00. His court date is 02/01/2023.

Anyone with information pertaining to crimes of this nature are urged to contact the Fillmore Police Department at (805) 524-2233, Detective Valdez, or Detective Lemar at the below listed numbers. The reporting party may remain anonymous.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to maintaining the safety of all residents by continued community partnerships. The Fillmore Police Department encourages citizens to immediately report suspicious people and vehicles, and to promptly report any crime they come across by calling 911. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes.

Nature of Incident: Suspects Victimize Flood Evacuee
Report Number: 23-3952
Location: South Mountain Road / Balcom Canyon Road, Unincorporated area of Ventura County
Date & Time: January 10, 2023 @ 9:48 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Santa Clara Valley Station Patrol, Santa Clara Valley Detectives
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
(S-1) Rodrigo Estrada aka Rodrigo Perez, Fillmore, 45
(S-2) Pedro Soria Chavez, Santa Paula, 26
Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Captain Eduardo “Lalo” Malagon, Fillmore’s New Chief of Police.

Sheriff Jim Fryhoff is pleased to announce the city of Fillmore has selected Captain Eduardo “Lalo” Malagon as its next police chief. Malagon has been selected to replace outgoing chief, Captain Garo Kuredjian after the announcement of his upcoming promotion to commander.

"I had an instant connection with Lalo, his diverse background and ability to speak Spanish will be a great asset. I am looking forward to working closely with him,” said Fillmore City Manager David Rowlands. Malagon is a 23-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and a lifelong Ventura County resident. Lalo started his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 2000, where he worked as a Cadet and Sheriff’s Service Technician. After graduating the academy in 2003, Lalo worked a variety of assignments including Detention Services, Patrol Services, Special Enforcement Unit, Sheriff’s Gang Unit, and Special Crimes Unit/Intelligence. Lalo has served as a supervisor in Court Services, Narcotics Unit, Sheriff’s Gang Unit, and most recently as a Patrol Services Watch Commander. His collateral assignments have included the Tactical Response Team, SWAT Team operator, and SWAT Team supervisor. Lalo is happily married to his wife Carla of 20 years, and they are raising four children.

“I am excited for Captain Eduardo “Lalo” Malagon to continue the tradition of exemplary service to the city of Fillmore and the Santa Clara Valley,” said Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. “Lalo comes to Fillmore with a strong and diverse background of assignments which will serve him and the community well.”

Malagon will begin as Fillmore police chief on January 22, 2023. In speaking about the move, Malagon said, “I am blessed to have the opportunity to connect with the residents of Fillmore and provide the highest level of service possible.”

Prepared by: Captain Cameron Henderson
Approved by: Sheriff Jim Fryhoff

The City of Fillmore has partnered with Patrick Ibarra from The Mejorando Group, one of the nation’s leading experts on government succession and workforce planning for local governments, to facilitate a goal setting session with elected officials in developing forward-looking results based strategic plans to achieve superior performance while meeting the needs and expectations of the community of Fillmore.

Building for the future with a thoughtful purpose and keeping our most vulnerable on our minds, with clear communication to the residents and businesses were a top priority.
Key Results Areas included: Fiscal Management, Public Safety, Economic Development and Innovation, Natural Resources, Arts and Culture, Smart Growth, Community Affordability, Community Engagement and Communication, Infrastructure and Organizational Excellence. City Council and staff will be focusing on these areas over the next several years. “It was great to listen to city council discuss the future of Fillmore keeping the small town feel we all love while still moving forward in our ever-changing world” said David Rowlands, City Manager.

City Manager, David Rowlands, presented to City Council a 2023 Workplan focused on citywide initiatives and projects. The Work Plan is not intended to be comprehensive of all work underway by the City. This workplan is a foundation to achieve necessary goals. City Council was supportive of the provided workplan. Capturing highly visible projects and initiatives is an effective way to focus City attention and resources on the right priorities.