Ventura County Sheriff's Department

(S)uspect, Age, City of Residence
Baltazar, Islas, 17, Oxnard

(V)ictims, Age, City of Residence
Male, 16, Oxnard
Male, 15, Oxnard

On July 16, 2008, 17-year-old Baltazar Islas was charged with Street Terrorism and Assault with a Firearm in Ventura County Superior Court. Islas will be tried as an adult for his part in a drive-by shooting that occurred in the community of Nyeland Acres in May 2008.

On May 20, 2008, a vehicle carrying at least two occupants drove to the 3400 block of Orange Drive, Nyeland Acres and stopped in front of a group of juveniles playing basketball in a private residential driveway. An unknown assailant got out of the vehicle and fired two rounds from a shotgun at the juveniles. The shotgun pellets struck the two juvenile victims at which time the vehicle and its occupants fled the area. The victims were transported to the hospital where they were treated and released.

Sheriff’s Gang Investigators developed information implicating Baltazar Islas as the driver of the suspect vehicle. On Friday, July 11, 2008, gang investigators obtained a search warrant for Baltazar’s residence in the 300 block of Anita Street in the City of Oxnard. During the service of the search warrant, gang investigators recovered a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. Gang investigators believe the weapon recovered was the one used in the drive-by shooting. Islas was arrested that night and lodged at the Juvenile Justice Center for assault with a firearm.