Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On March 28, 2011, at approximately 2:00 a.m., two victims were seated in a vehicle in front of a residence. Two male suspects approached the victims, brandished a knife and demanded money from them. The suspects fled in a white sedan without any money.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., city of Fillmore patrol deputies located the suspects in their white Hyundai traveling westbound on Highway 126 towards the city of Fillmore. Patrol deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver refused to stop the car and a pursuit ensued. The fleeing suspect vehicle ultimately collided with a street sign at Burlington Street and Reading Street in Fillmore.

The male juvenile driver of the vehicle escaped on foot but was tracked and apprehended by a Sheriff’s K-9. He was lodged for felony attempted robbery charges into the Juvenile Justice Center in El Rio. The male juvenile passenger whowas trapped in the car due to the collision, was rescued and treated by Fillmore Fire Department personnel at the scene. The passenger was also lodged at the Juvenile Justice Center on felony attempted robbery charges.

Attempt Robbery- 400 Block of Simon Way, El Rio / Vehicle Pursuit -Fillmore
Location- Fillmore
Date & Time: March 28, 2011 @ 2:00 a.m.
Unit Responsible: Fillmore Police and Sheriff’s Gang Units
Report #: 11-6953
Arrestees: Address: Age:
Juvenile Santa Paula, CA 17
Juvenile Oxnard, CA 16
Officer Preparing Release: Sergeant Dave Wareham
Follow-up Contact: Detective Albert Ramirez (805) 524-2233
Date of Release: 03/28/2011
Approved by: Captain Tim Hagel

Enlarge Photo

FILLMORE, CA. - On 3/27/2011 at 11:15am the City of Fillmore Fire Department responded to a report of a possible structure fire at 436 Central Avenue in the City of Fillmore.

Upon arriving on scene, firefighters observed light smoke coming from the rear of a single story, single family dwelling. After forcing entry into the locked residence, it was determined the source of the smoke was a bedroom and contents that had ignited into flames. Firefighters quickly contained the fire and took immediate measures to prevent further damage to the structure. Smoke damage was present throughout the location however the integrity of the structure was untouched. Two adults and two children were displaced by the blaze but were left unharmed.

The cause of the fire was determined to be due in part to a clothes iron that was left on some 45 minutes prior to fire units being dispatched The occupant indicated he was ironing his clothing before leaving with his family to church when he placed the heated iron in a window seal inside the bedroom. It was later determined by Fire Investigators the iron was left in the on position igniting the adjacent curtains and room.

From our little town of Fillmore there are eight high school aged youngsters that began in September to prepare for the 2011 L.A. Marathon on March 20, 2011. They practiced here in Fillmore and in the Valley on some challenging practice runs. They participated in practice organized runs throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. They started with a 10K in La Puente; 9 miler in Encino, two half marathons in Pomona and Irvine; 18 miler at Hansen Dam in the Valley and then the L.A. Marathon. They ran these with SRLA (Students Run L.A.); yes they were out there with all those other kids with the bright green singlets that you saw on T.V.

These students ran the marathon under conditions that the L.A. Times stated “on what is believed to be the stormiest day in L.A. Marathon history”. Alexander Frias (16) has run the LA Marathon 4 other times, this was his 5th L.A. Marathon; Nico Frias (14) ran it one other time, this was his 2nd L.A. Marathon, missed the first one due to a broken arm; they are brothers. They have been trained for these last years by their dad, Joel Frias, who has been an SRLA leader for 11 years now. Sammy Martinez (16), friend to Alexander, ran it with him last year and this was his second L.A. Marathon. The following ran it for the first time: Vincent Chavez (16), Isaac Gomez (15), Anthony Rivas (15), Jovani (Geo) Rubio (18) and Carina Silva (18).

These outstanding young people deserve our congratulations and respect for their accomplishment of hard work and planning to complete an awesome goal of running a marathon (26.2 miles) (it’s like running from Fillmore to Ventura) and under such harsh conditions! Way to go!

Building official Michael McGivney and Stephen Stuart from Santa Paula addressed the Council with the most recent edition of the California Building Codes.

The March 22, 2011 Fillmore City Council Meeting continued on until half past eleven as Council grappled with discussions of the next 2011-2012 budget with its projected cuts to services. Also on the agenda were the new State Building Codes, Southern California Association of Governments Integrated Growth Forecasting, installing a side entrance gate for access to Fillmore High School’s running track, and a proposal for a town hall meeting.

The Council had their work cut out for them in tackling the midyear budget review and the upcoming Fiscal Year 2012. Some of what the Council can and cannot do pertains to Proposition 26 passed by California voters in November 2010. Proposition 26 changed the requirements when cities attempt to adjust certain fees and charges.

Fillmore like most California cities is facing budget problems. Financial Advisor Anita Lawrence, in her last work preformed for the City, presented the Council with the 2010/11 Midyear Budget Review, which was not good news.

The bottom line is the General Fund does not have sufficient revenue to support basic Public Safety Services, which means City service levels will have to change.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Contract with the City is expected to cost $3.4 million, an increase of 5%, plus other police Services and Fire Service each costing $800,000, bringing the total for Public Safety Services to $5 million.

The current 2010-2011 budget which ends June 30th will have a balance of $1 million to roll over to the next budget which starts July 1st. The debt service payments (money borrowed) are escalating leaving the General Fund with baseline expenditures over $7.4 million and expected revenues coming in to equal less than $4.2 million, resulting in a $3.2 million structural gap.

Council Member Steve Conaway told CONTINUED »

City of Fillmore Fire Chief Rigo Landeros has announced the formation of a Foundation to help with accomplishing the many community service goals he has for the City of Fillmore Volunteer Fire Department. The nearly 100-year old Fire Department has operated primarily as an all Volunteer Fire Department since the Fire Department was established in 1914. Since that time the Fire Department has professionalized and grown to five full-time paid positions and 65 volunteer positions.

The Fillmore Volunteer Firefighters Foundation (Foundation) is a newly formed organization with a pending application seeking IRS 501(c) (3) tax exempt non-profit status. The Foundation will be governed by a five member board of directors living within the Fillmore Community. The Foundation's mission is to assist with providing community education of fire prevention and general public safety programs for the residents of Fillmore. The Foundation will also encourage and support community charitable outreach, such as the Annual Christmas Toy Drive and Chicken Dinner, inspecting and installing of smoke detectors and replacement of defective smoke detectors within Fillmore homes and conduct programs such as the Stop! Drop! and Roll! presentations within the Fillmore Unified School District schools. Another program that will be shared with the Fillmore Boy Scout Troop 406 will be to foster and encourage patriotism through the donations of United States of America Flags to our schools and assist in the proper disposal of retired United States of America Flags. Following the theme of patriotism the Foundation will participate in the existing grant program for the purchase of the Military Banners that are placed within the Fillmore Community recognizing those Fillmore Military Members that are currently serving.

Scott Beylik, Foundation Board President indicates the Foundation has an active agenda planned for the upcoming year. The Foundation will establish an Annual Honorary Member of the Foundation Dinner. There are plans ongoing for recognizing the Ten-Year Anniversary of the tragic events on September 11, 2001 occurring in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.. There will also be a 100-Year celebration of the establishment of the Fillmore Volunteer Fire Department to be held in 2014 and planning for that celebration is in progress. In conjunction with that celebration there are two historic vehicles the Foundation would like to restore; a 1946 Ford Panel Fire vehicle and a 1953 GMC fire truck. Funding for the Foundation's goals will come from fund-raising, donations, and both public and private grants.

Not waiting around for CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On March 15, 2011, at about 10:22 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle for equipment violations. The driver was identified as James Alvarez 24, and his passenger was identified as David Gomez 21. During the traffic stop, deputies smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

Alvarez and Gomez were removed from the vehicle for further investigation and a pat-down was conducted of their persons. During the pat-down search, deputies found two loaded handguns concealed in Gomez’ waistband.

Gomez and Alvarez are documented gang members from Fillmore. Gomez and Alvarez were both arrested for possession of a loaded handgun and active participation in a criminal street gang. They were both transported and booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Although the cases of identity theft in the United States have decreased in 2010, criminals are still finding new ways to steal information. An example is the use of a credit card skimmer. Skimmers read magnetic stripe on the credit card and store this information in the skimmer. Credit card skimmers are now as small as a quarter. Some of these skimmers are placed on ATM’s and inside gas pumps. Criminals use the information obtained from the credit card skimmer to make new credit cards and then charge hundreds to thousand of dollars on a victim’s stolen credit card. This type of illegal behavior is not unique to Camarillo and has become a worldwide problem.

The Camarillo Police Department is incorporating a program to help combat the placement of illegal credit card skimmers at gas station pumps. The Camarillo Police Department has a dedicated group of volunteers who staff our Citizen Patrol Unit who will be periodically checking the gas station pumps at participating gas stations in the City of Camarillo for credit card skimmers.

The new program is designed to deter as well as detect the use of illegally placed skimmers at gas station pumps. If you have any questions about the program, please contact the Crime Prevention Officer, Senior Deputy Sean Britt at 805-388-5130.

Location: City of Camarillo
Date & Time/ RB#: 3/22/11
Unit Responsible: Camarillo Police Department – Community Resource Unit
Officer Preparing Release: Senior Deputy Sean Britt
Follow-up Contact: Senior Deputy Sean Britt
Date of Release: 3/22/11
Approved By: Captain Monica McGrath