(l-r) School Board Vice President John Garnica and Students First award recipient Tony Newhall of the Henry Mayo Foundation.
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On Tuesday February 1, 2011, School Board Vice President John Garnica presided over a regularly scheduled meeting since President Virginia De La Piedra was not in attendance. Superintendent Jeff Sweeney was also not in attendance due to illness.

Board Members Tony Prado, Dave Wilde and Lucy Rangel reported they attended the District’s meeting regarding math essential standards, and all enjoyed the video shown (to view this video got to www.fillmoregazette.com/school-matters). Rangel went on to mention an event she attended at the high school, where parents were informed about “Zangle”, an online resource where parents can now log in, and have access to up to date information on their children’s homework, grades and attendance. She also attended a dinner hosted by the Ventura County School Board Association finding it “very informative.” Rangel explained that a topic discussed was the future with charter schools and the VCSBA recommending that all board members get educated about them because “it’s not going away, if anything it’s growing.” According to Rangel there are fourteen charter schools in Ventura County, “about half of them aren’t necessarily better than our public schools…[based on API scores] but that middle and high school [charter schools] are doing much better [than many non charter secondary schools in the County].” She explained one issue is that the charter schools tend to “attract the high performing students.” Rangel emphasized the recommendation made by the VCSBA of getting additional training regarding charter schools “for any future petitions that come up.” Another important topic presented was about marketing the Districts schools. “We really need to sell our school to the community… they encouraged us to attend meetings with parents [and community groups] like Tressa [Saviers] was saying,” and include unique aspects of FUSD on the homepage of the districts website. Rangel also attended the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) meeting following the meet and greet at Fillmore Middle School on January 28. “I didn’t realize that the teen pregnancy rate… [in our District] is so high…it’s second in the County …[at] 13.7%.” She praised a mother-daughter program targeting ages 12 to 13 put on by the Public Health Department ran by Claudia Benton and Rhonda Reyes-Deutsch aimed at preventing teen pregnancy further stating that “we should showcase” this program.

A Students First Award was granted to Tony Newhall of the Henry Mayo Foundation. Newhall told how his great-grandfather came to the area 125 years ago and purchased the Rancho San Francisco. He proceeded to prosper, and the family later created a foundation to “benefit the people and communities where he worked and earned his money.” According to Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush the Henry Mayo Foundation has given the Fillmore Unified School District $630,000 for arts programs at Piru and San Cayetano Elementary Schools as well as scholarships to Fillmore High School graduates who went on to college.

During public comment Fillmore CONTINUED »

Dr. Barry Lefkovitch, 56, Thousand Oaks, CA

On December 13, 2010, Dr. Barry Lefkovitch was arrested by detectives from the Thousand Oaks Police Sexual Assault Unit after a weeklong investigation revealed Lefkovitch had sexually assaulted a patient during an office visit. The District Attorney filed three felony charges against Dr. Lefkovitch.

Since then, further investigation revealed credible information that has led to several other victims of sexual assault as well as negligent medical practices by Dr. Lefkovitch.

Investigators believe there are other victims and are asking for anyone with information, or who believe they have been victimized by Dr. Lefkovitch to contact Detective Jason Robarts at (805) 494-8229.

Location: 2330 Lynn Road, suite #200, Thousand Oaks, Ca 91360
Date & Time/ RB#: RB#’s 10-31333 / 11-343 / 11-995
Unit Responsible: Thousand Oaks Police Sexual Assault Unit
Suspect Address Age
Dr. Barry Lefkovitch Thousand Oaks 56
Officer Preparing Release: Detective Jason Robarts
Follow-up Contact: Detective Jason Robarts (805) 494-8229 / (805) 947-6532(C)
Sgt. Barbara Payton (805) 371-8392
Date of Release: January 31, 2011
Approved By: Captain Bruce Watlington

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 7-30-2010, at about 1605 hrs, a female employee was working alone at the Cactus Mart nursery, 3571 Howe Road. As the female victim sat in a small office, two Hispanic males entered. One of the males demanded money and the other male pointed a handgun at her. After receiving the money, the suspects bound the victim’s wrists and ankles with duct tape. The suspects fled on foot. The victim was able to free herself and call 911.

The Sheriff’s Gang Unit took over the investigation and submitted several pieces of evidence to the Sheriff’s Crime Lab. On 10-18-2010, the Crime Lab notified gang investigators that they were able to extract DNA from some of the evidence collected at the scene. Scientists submitted the DNA profile to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and were notified the DNA profile belonged to 27 year old Juan Acevedo. Acevedo’s DNA had been collected during a prior unrelated arrest and submitted and stored in the CODIS data bank.

Gang investigators conducted a records check on Acevedo and found that he was currently in custody at Folsom State Prison on a parole violation stemming from an incident in Santa Paula when he was found in possession of illegal weapons.

After identifying Acevedo as a suspect in the Cactus Mart robbery, gang investigators were able to collect additional evidence that linked three other suspects to the robbery. They were identified as 21-year-old Carina Licea, 20-year-old Alexandria Zambrano and 25-year-old Juan Vasquez. Investigators found that Vasquez was on parole for drug offenses and currently had a warrant for violation of his parole terms.

Gang investigators were able to track Carina Licea and Juan Vasquez to a residence in Buckeye, Arizona. Investigators obtained a warrant for Licea’s arrest on an unrelated case and on 12-23-10, the Buckeye Police Department SWAT team took Vasquez and Licea into custody. Vasquez was transported back to the California Department of Corrections and Licea was transported to the Ventura County Jail.

Through interviews, Gang investigators found that on the day of the Cactus Mart robbery, Licea, Zambrano, Vasquez and Acevedo all met and planned out the robbery. Licea drove Vasquez and Acevedo to the Cactus Mart and dropped them off. Vasquez and Acevedo both entered the office where they robbed and tied up the victim. During the robbery, Vasquez decided not to shoot the victim as initially planned. Both Acevedo and Vasquez fled the office after the robbery and were picked up by Zambrano. All four suspects fled the area and drove to Bakersfield.

On 1-5-2011, Licea was arrested for charges that include Armed Robbery and Kidnapping. She was in custody on unrelated charges at the time. On 1-6-2011, Zambrano was arrested at her Bakersfield residence for charges that include Armed Robbery and Kidnapping. On 1-26-2011, The District Attorney’s Office filed an order of production to have both Acevedo and Vasquez transported from state prison to the Ventura County Jail where they will be charged with Armed Robbery and Kidnapping.

Licea remains in custody on $60,000 dollar bail. Zambrano was released from custody on 1-12-2011 on $60,000 dollar bail awaiting trial.

Location: 3571 Howe Rd, Piru
Date & Time: 1-26-2011
Unit Responsible: Sheriff Gang Unit
Report #: 10-18379
(S) Suspects City Age
(S)Carina Licea Buckeye, Arizona 21
(S)Alexandria Zambrano Bakersfield, California 20
(S)Juan Vasquez Buckeye, Arizona 25
(S)Juan Acevedo Bakersfield, California 27
Officer Preparing Release: Sgt Schierman
Follow-up Contact: Sgt Schierman 654-2856
Date of Release: 1-28-2011
Approved by: Capt. C. Lathrop

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On January 26, 2011, at about 6:30 p.m., there were three armed robberies in Fillmore committed by two suspects within an hour. The investigation led to the arrest of 18 year old Marco Antonio Nunez Anguiano. The second suspect is still being sought.

The first robbery occurred at about 6:20 p.m. when the two suspects armed with a handgun approached a male juvenile victim as he walked in the 600 block of Shiells Drive. One suspect pointed the handgun at the victim and demanded his property. When the suspects found the victim did not have anything of value, they released him. Moments later, another male juvenile victim reported the second robbery to 9-1-1 dispatchers.

The second victim reported he was walking in the 400 block of Central Avenue when the two male suspects approached him. One suspect produced a handgun and pointed it at him. The suspects then demanded his property. The suspects released the victim unharmed. The third robbery occurred at about 7:15 P.M. Three male juvenile victims reported they were walking in the 400 block of C Street when they were approached by same two suspects. One suspect pointed a handgun at one of the victims and demanded their property. They were released unharmed.

About three hours after the first robbery, Sheriff’s Gang Investigators located one of the suspects in a car located in the city of Santa Paula. Suspect, Marco Antonio Anguiano-Nunez of Santa Paula, was stopped and arrested without incident. He was booked at the Sheriff’s Main Jail for armed robbery with bail set at $50,000.00.

Police need your help. If you have any information regarding the second suspect call Crime Stoppers at 805-524-0970

Location: City of Fillmore
Date & Time: January 26, 2011 6:30 p.m.
Report#: 11-2172 11-2164 11-2166
Unit Responsible: Fillmore Police Gang Unit
Suspects City of Residence Age
Anguiano-Nunez, Marco Antonio Santa Paula 18
Male Unknown Unknown
Officer Preparing Release: Senior Deputy Taurino Almazan
Follow-up Contact: Senior Deputy Taurino Almazan @ (805) 524-2233
Date of Release: January 27, 2011

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Friday January 21, 2011 at 0344 Am: Fillmore - Stolen Car Recovery / Arrests - 800 Block Ventura St.

Fillmore Sheriff's Deputy Gonzalez located an unoccupied stolen vehicle parked at the Las Posadas Motel.

The vehicle, a 1999 Nissan was reported stolen out of Santa Paula. Gonzalez investigated and found that the tenants staying at the motel were associated with the stolen vehicle.

Fillmore residents: 34 year old Michael Alvarado, 34 year old Felix Zuniga , 26 year old Kathy Macias, and 21 year old Cesar Calderon were all arrested for the felony possession of stolen property and a stolen vehicle.
In addition, Deputy Gonzalez recovered many articles of suspected stolen property, which included ID's, credit cards, laptop computers, burglary tools, police scanners, and narcotics instruments.

We are working with Santa Paula Police Department to locate the owners of the stolen property.

Fernando Cervantes, 48 of Fillmore, was sentenced on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 to 60 years to life following his conviction on four counts of child molestation. A jury found Cervantes guilty of sexually abusing four female
relatives under the age of 14, since 1996 when the victims were 5 or 6-years old. The guilty verdict covered two felony counts of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and two felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under 14. His sons, Oscar, 21, and Francisco Cervantes, 22, were also arrested and charged with molesting female relatives. There trials are pending. They were charged with molesting two of the victims who were sexually abused by their father. The abused ended in 2004.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

January 19th at 3:15 a.m. in the vacinity of Chaparral St. at Second St. 23 year old Albaro Oregon and 18 year old Eric Martinez were arrested for outstanding felony Warrants and fresh charges that included resisting arrest, fleeing and robbery with gang enhancements.

The two were spotted by Fillmore Gang Officers and chased on foot. During their flight, Martinez entered a stranger’s residence and briefly falsely imprisoned the occupants until deputies entered and took him into custody with a minimal use of force. Both booked at the main jail. Report 11-1553. Courtesy of Fillmore Police Department.