This past Saturday, November 4th, the Sophomores Fillmore Raiders defeated Calabasas Gold claiming the D2 Championship game. Above is the team celebrating after their win.
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Congratulations to our Sophomore Fillmore Raiders team for winning the D2 championship against Calabasas Gold. This game is what every little boy dreams of when they take the field and became an instant classic for Raiders’ history.
It was a massive back and forth battle that was hard fought the entire time. Raiders took a few huge injuries early in the game that slowed their offense a bit. But once those players worked through their injuries, it was game on. The game ended in the 4th quarter tied 8-8.

Calabasas started with the ball going into overtime with a chance to win it. Raiders defense did NOT let that happen and came up with hard fought stops. Raiders took possession of the ball and had a penalty that pushed them back further. Every down, they ran hard for a positive gain. It was 4th and Goal on the 3-yard line. Game was tied 8-8 in overtime. Do or die and they took it in for a TOUCHDOWN!

Players shouted. Coaches celebrated. It was a sight to behold for a team that only won 1 game last year. This turnaround from last season to winning it in overtime was the kind of story that movies are made of. So once again, congratulations to our Fillmore Raiders!

Ismael Alonzo
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Ismael Alonzo was inducted into the Army on September 7, 1965, where he went to Basic Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. His friend Tony Cervantez Sr. went with him. Tony also lived in Fillmore. In November 1965, he went to Fort Ord Ca. for advanced Infantry training as a SML vehicle driver.

On February 4, 1966, Ismael was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Division (Black Lions), located in Phuac Vinh, Viet Nam, 38 miles northeast of Saigon. The 28th Division had gone to Viet Nam in 1965 and his troop was replacing the first phase of combat soldiers. He was assigned to Supply and was given the task of replacing the radio operator for the platoon. Ismael would be with the 28th Division when they went out on missions. He oversaw supply and demand in the front lines. He spent many hours in helicopters securing what was needed. Sometimes in rough areas to land in landing zones because of the terrain.

Ismael was awarded several medals including the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Viet Nam Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Ribbon, and the Sharpshooter Badge. He was discharged on September 7, 1967, as an E-4 Specialist.
Ismael has been a member of the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) since 1990. You will see him and other members of VFW at ceremonies and parades throughout Fillmore and Piru.

He was born in Mexico, but his family settled in San Antonio, Texas for five years before moving to Santa Paula where the family worked in agriculture. He graduated from Santa Paula High School in 1965.
Ismael has been married to Rosa Cabral Alonzo since 1968. They have three children, Tony, Irene, and Adam. There are eight grandchildren, two adopted grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. They have lived in Fillmore since 1990.

From the Publisher

A hero appeared at the October 26 City Council meeting. In his 2000-plus word address to the Council, I believe he answers the recent shakedown letter threatening to sue Fillmore to force compliance with the California Voting Rights Act, costing us at least $37,000. His name is Paul Conrad Copley. He is Ventura County Coordinator for the California Ranked Choice Voting Institute.

He believes this threat is an abuse of the CVRA and that the solution here is Proportional Ranked Choice Voting. After a thorough study of Fillmore's voting system, he "strongly urges the city to pursue the settlement outlined in his third described option." [online].

Mr. Copley's printed statement is far too long to include in its entirety this week, so it has been posted online at www.FillmoreGazette.com. I urge everyone to read it. Here is a small part:

"Kevin Shenkman, the most experienced and aggressive attorney in the state pursuing CVRA litigation, contacted the city of Fillmore, asked for demographic information and information about the City Council, and, upon reviewing the data, decided not to take any action against Fillmore. It can be speculated that some of the attorneys in California sending CVRA threat letters are looking for a quick payday and don’t intend to sue if the city calls their bluff. Kevin Shenkman is not one such attorney. He does his homework, and he truly believes in the CVRA and the work he is doing. He doesn’t bluff, and he doesn’t blow smoke. He would likely have sent a CVRA threat letter if he felt there was a violation worthy of a potential lawsuit. Options: Given the established background information and the need for the City Council to decide, I would like to enumerate three options facing the City of Fillmore for the benefit of the City Council, its staff, and the residents: Concede, Resist, or Settle."

***

Distinguished Council Members and Staff,

Thank you for taking the time to hear and receive my public comments today and for your open
and thoughtful manner in addressing this admittedly stressful process. As many have
commented, I don’t envy your position and the decisions you will have to make in the coming
weeks and months, and I hope that whatever path you choose works well for the citizens of
Fillmore and the Fillmore City Council.

I acknowledge that I am not a resident of Fillmore. I live in Oak Park, a small unincorporated
community in the eastern part of Ventura County, about 30 minutes south of here through the
winding orchards. When my boys were babies, I used to take long drives through the farming
communities, including Fillmore, so that they would nap and I would have something peaceful
and beautiful to stare at while I wandered aimlessly through Ventura County. I hold a special
place in my heart for small towns, and I’m very interested in the things happening in our County.
When I read about Fillmore’s intention to move to districts due to a CVRA threat letter in the
Ventura County Star, it piqued my interest as I volunteer for an election reform nonprofit, The
California Ranked Choice Voting Institute, and have a particular passion for voting reform. I
believe that our current voting systems are at the root of many of our political problems and that
reform is helpful and necessary in most cases.

It is my opinion, and the stated opinion of the group that I volunteer with, that the California
Voting Rights Act is an extremely important and beneficial law that has helped
underrepresented groups in California attain political power and representation in many areas
where they had previously been unable to win seats as a result of Plurality At-Large (PAL)
electoral systems. The district transition has often helped disenfranchised groups, especially
Latinos, achieve much-deserved representation. These are important wins and justify the
existence of the CVRA and the need for its enforcement.

However, I believe the CVRA can be abused, and not every city is served by the transition to
districts. Plurality At-Large is an inherently flawed system, but, like a broken clock, it
occasionally gets things right. Fillmore’s Plurality At-Large system has recently produced
representation that aligns with its California Voting Age Population, or CVAP, but historically it
has not. Therefore, I propose that the best solution for providing just representation and bringing
the city into compliance with the California Voting Rights Act is a Proportional At-Large system,
such as Proportional Ranked Choice Voting.

There are several options the city could take in responding to the CVRA threat letter, but before
we address those options, let’s establish a little background to give perspective to the available
options.

Important Background Items:
● The City may request a 90-day extension to the timeline in accordance with California
Elections Code 10010(e)(3)(C)
○ Any reasonable attorney should grant this extension, and doing so would allow
the city more time to carefully evaluate its options, draw maps, or seek a
settlement with the plaintiff.
● The recent California State Supreme Court decision regarding Pico Neighborhood
Association v. City of Santa Monica overturned the city’s appeal victory, but in doing so, it
added an important condition requiring that the plaintiffs pursuing a CVRA case not only
demonstrate “racially polarized voting,” but now must also demonstrate “voting dilution.”
○ This adds additional research and cost to prosecuting and defending a CVRA
case by raising requirements that the plaintiff must prove.
○ Specifically, the plaintiffs must show that there is a system that would improve the
situation for the injured group.
● Fillmore’s California Voting Age Population, or CVAP, is roughly two-thirds Latino and
one-third white. Given that the injured party in this CVRA threat letter has a 2:1 majority
over the next largest group, it sets a high bar to prove there has been voting dilution.
○ While historically underrepresented, Latino’s lack of representation does not
appear to be due to the mathematical inability to elect representatives.
○ If Latino voter turnout were higher than 50%, based on Fillmore’s CVAP statistics,
they would have the voting power to elect all five seats and all other elected
offices under a Plurality At-Large system.
● On October 24th, Mr. Leonard of VP National Demographics Corporation stated that no
city in California has successfully fought a CVRA letter and that all other cities in Ventura
County have moved to districts. However, many cities and governing bodies have
resisted CVRA threat letters, and in many cases, they never hear back from the attorney.
A few examples are:
○ Port Hueneme (no CVRA threat letter, still using PAL)
○ Ojai (conceded, immediately voted to dissolve districts)
○ Richmond, CA (refused)
○ Fort Bragg, CA (settled)
○ Palo Alto School District (refused)
○ San Luis Obispo (refused, received another letter)
○ Burbank (refused, entering litigation)
○ Santa Monica (refused, litigating)
● The attorney who issued the CVRA threat letter to Fillmore has sent a number of threat
letters to different cities, resulting in cities conceding and transitioning to districts.
Recently, he sent a nearly identical threat letter to the one Fillmore received to the city of
Burbank. The Burbank city council voted unanimously to ignore the letter and transition
their city to a Proportional System.
○ Mr. Dominguez has filed suit (Nicholas Gutierrez v. City of Burbank; Case No.:
23STCV25587), and the parties will meet soon for their first hearing.
● Kevin Shenkman, the most experienced and aggressive attorney in the state pursuing
CVRA litigation, contacted the city of Fillmore, asked for demographic information and
information about the City Council, and, upon reviewing the data, decided not to take
any action against Fillmore.
○ It can be speculated that some of the attorneys in California sending CVRA threat
letters are looking for a quick payday and don’t intend to sue if the city calls their
bluff. Kevin Shenkman is not one such attorney.
○ He does his homework, and he truly believes in the CVRA and the work he is
doing. He doesn’t bluff, and he doesn’t blow smoke.
○ He would likely have sent a CVRA threat letter if he felt there was a violation
worthy of a potential lawsuit.
Options:

Given the established background information and the need for the City Council to decide, I
would like to enumerate three options facing the City of Fillmore for the benefit of the City
Council, its staff, and the residents: Concede, Resist, or Settle.
Option A: Concede

In option A, the city chooses to concede to the threat letter sent by Attorney Jason Dominguez
and moves forward with district elections beginning in 2024. The City pays Mr. Dominguez
roughly $37,000 to cover his “fees,” hires a demographer to draw up maps for the city’s
proposed districts, and absorbs an array of additional costs that come about as a result of
moving to district elections. All told, it can easily cost $100,000 to make the initial transition.
Once transitioning to districts, the city will face a redistricting process after every census and the
associated costs involved with such a process.
Aside from the costs associated with the transition to districts, the city must contend with the
possibility of uncontested elections or elections where no candidate can be found to represent a
district. In similar circumstances, small towns forced to move to districts have trouble fielding
candidates and have uncontested races 30% of the time. This is not good for voters and not
good for democracy.

If nobody comes forward seeking office, a district is left with no candidates, and a representative
has to be appointed.
So, while conceding and moving to districts might protect the city of Fillmore from future CVRA
threat letters, it is not necessarily in the best interest of the City, its voters, or its budget.
Option B: Resist
In Option B, the city decides to contest Mr. Dominguez’s CVRA threat letter and responds with a
stern letter from the city’s attorney stating that the city does not believe that it is in violation of
the California Voting Rights Act and asks Mr. Dominguez to provide further details and analysis
into the plaintiff’s claim. This letter could include that Kevin Shenkman, a noted CVRA lawyer
with a very successful track record, looked into Fillmore’s situation and decided there was no
case.

The city could argue that given the current makeup of the City Council and the demographic
composition of the City’s CVAP, there is no case to be made that the injured party is unable to
achieve acceptable levels of representation on the council. Latinos make up roughly two-thirds
of the CVAP and two-thirds of the City Council. Whites make up roughly one-third of the CVAP
and roughly one-third of the City Council. Where is the violation?
If the City decided to resist Mr. Dominguez’s CVRA threat letter, it would either see Mr.
Dominguez drop his case against the City, and there would be no additional expenses, or Mr.
Dominguez would make good on his threat and file suit against the city. Should Mr. Dominguez
file suit, the City would be responsible for all its related legal costs. If it loses, it would be liable
for damages and fees incurred by Mr. Dominguez. If the City wins, it would still be responsible
for its legal costs, unable to recoup those costs from Mr. Dominguez as the CVRA protects the
plaintiff and the plaintiff’s attorney from damages in the instance of a loss.
If the City were to win its case, it would set a precedent that might discourage other attorneys
from sending CVRA threat letters, and in the event that another threat letter was sent, the City
would be likely to win again, denying future attorneys who send letters the prospect of
recovering any costs or fees. But it would not provide safe harbor from such threat letters, so it
is entirely possible that another attorney could come along and start the whole process over.
Option C: Seek Settlement

In Option C, the City decides to seek a settlement with Mr. Dominguez and the plaintiff. The City
is not conceding to Mr. Dominguez’s threat letter and, as such, is not liable for the $37,000 in
fees to the attorney but is able to negotiate an acceptable settlement that sees Mr. Dominguez
able to recover his legal costs as well as sparing the City from having to transition to
district-based elections.
A proposed settlement would include an admission from the City that its Plurality At-Large
system is a weak system for guaranteeing representation for protected groups. The City would
state that although it is not currently in violation, it has been historically, and it wishes to
transition to a better, more just system as defined by the CVRA. Because district elections result
in uncontested elections as much as 30% of the time in similarly sized cities, the City proposes
moving to a modified at-large system, such as Proportional Ranked Choice Voting, as allowed
for in the CVRA. The similarly sized city of Albany (population 19,000) recently negotiated a
similar settlement with attorney Kevin Shenkman and, in 2022, held its first Proportional Ranked
Choice election, which yielded fantastic results.
A settlement such as this provides a number of significant advantages over conceding to or
resisting the CVRA threat letter. It allows a city to avoid transitioning to districts, it replaces an
antiquated and unjust system of Plurality At-Large elections with a much better proportional
system, and it provides protection from future CVRA threat letters for at least a few election
cycles while the method is proven to produce just and representative electoral results. If the suit
and the settlement are filed in conjunction and ruled on by a judge, the ruling allows the city to
move to a proportional election system without having to adopt a city charter and shields the city
from future CVRA threat letters until such time as historical data can either confirm or disprove
the effectiveness of the settled upon solution.
Conclusion
The City of Fillmore, its city council, and its residents have difficult decisions ahead of them. Of
the three options I’ve presented, none will be easy, and none will be without cost or headache,
but I believe there is a clear winner. I strongly urge the City to pursue a settlement with the
plaintiff that includes the implementation of a Proportional At-Large system such as Proportional
Ranked Choice Voting.
Ranked Choice Voting is the fastest-growing voting reform in the county, and for good reason. It
encourages more candidates to run, provides voters with more options, and, when implemented
in a proportional form to elect representative bodies, produces the most just and equitable
results of any voting system in use today.
There is an opportunity for the Fillmore City Council to turn this lemon into lemonade and
emerge from this stressful situation with a new and improved election system that both satisfies
the requirements of the California Voting Rights Act and prevents the city from being forced to
transition to an unwanted and likely ineffective district model.
I wish you, the City Council, and the people of Fillmore the very best as you navigate this
process, and I will be rooting for you the entire time!
Thank you again for your time.

Sincerely,

Paul Conrad Copley
Ventura County Coordinator
California Ranked Choice Voting Institute
(424)214-9622
paul@calrcv.org
www.CalRCV.org

By FHS Head Football Coach Charlie Weis, M. Ed.

Fillmore is a town built around a culture of hard work, family, and perseverance. These fundamental pillars of our community are deeply engrained in our student athletes. Holding strong to those core values, Flashes football was able to overcome tremendous adversity and accomplish greatness this season. After losing numerous athletes to injuries just prior to the season, they could have lost hope. After dropping three games in a row at home they had every reason to stop believing in themselves. Forced to travel hundreds of miles for 5 straight weeks without a home game, the team could have taken the easy path and coasted through the end of their season. Not a single member of the team did any of those things. Instead, they dug deep and found themselves working harder than ever. They rallied around their teammates, like a family, and supported and encouraged each other. They persevered together. Instead of taking the easy way out, Fillmore strived for greatness. The Flashes finished their season with 6 straight wins, a league title (for the second year in a row), and a playoff berth (for the third straight season). They embodied everything that is great about this community and this school, and they earned their place in FHS history. Now, they take on their next great challenge, the CIF Championship playoffs. This Friday, November 3rd, the Flashes host Cerritos high school at home at 7pm. Cerritos high might be more than twice the size of Fillmore high, but they do not have the heart or the community that we have. Flashes football is calling on their community to come out to support the football team and show Cerritos that we are One Town and One Team, and we will never stop believing in our ability to overcome any odds.

A Fillmore resident was identified and arrested for prowling and peeking into the window of a local residence. On October 11, 2023, at approximately 11:00 PM and on July 20, 2023, at approximately 12:16 AM, the Fillmore Police Department received reports of a prowler in the 900 block of Wileman Street in the city of Fillmore. Both incidents were captured on RING cameras and appeared to be the same suspect.

Fillmore detectives and Fillmore patrol deputies worked at collecting and identifying leads pertaining to these crimes. On October 17, 2023, a news release was sent out requesting the public’s assistance in identifying this suspect. Several photographs of the suspect committing these two crimes were caught on RING camera footage and included in the news release.
On October 24, 2023, at approximately 2:30 PM, the Fillmore Police Station received a telephone call from a local resident who saw a subject matching the description of the prowler after viewing the photographs in the news release.

Fillmore detectives immediately followed up on this tip and they contacted and identified 53-year-old J Ines Robles, a Fillmore resident, in the 200 block of A street in the city of Fillmore. Detectives interviewed Robles and collected additional incriminating evidence linking and positively identifying Robles as the suspect in both prowling crimes. Robles was arrested for two counts of prowling and two counts of peeking.

Nature of Incident: Prowling and Peeking Arrest
Report Number: RB #23-131109 / 2393381
Location: 900 block Wileman Street, Fillmore, CA
Date & Date: July 20, 2023 @ 12:16 AM October 11, 2023 @ 11:00 PM

(S)uspects,(V)ictims,(P)arty,(D)ecedent
J Ines Robles Fillmore 53

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon

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On 10/22/2023, Fillmore patrol deputies responded to a call of a shooting in the area of McNab Court. When deputies arrived on scene, they located numerous shell casings in the street and other evidence indicative of a shooting. The male victim, 22, of Santa Paula, was found to have been transported to the Santa Paula Emergency Room with multiple gunshot wounds and is in critical but stable condition. Detectives from the Fillmore Police Department, Sheriff’s Major Crime’s Bureau, and West County Special Enforcement Bureau responded to the scene and assisted with the subsequent investigation.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is requesting assistance from the public regarding this ongoing investigation. Anyone who witnessed or has knowledge of the circumstances that led to the shooting is encouraged to contact Detective Jaime Gomez at (805) 384-4732. If you prefer to remain anonymous you may contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477). Those who wish to share video or pictures of the incident can do so and can remain anonymous by using the following link: https://venturasheriffca.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/mcna... or by scanning the following QR code:
Qr code

Prepared by: Sergeant Gabriel Gonzales
Approved by: Captain Victor Medina

Victor Westerberg
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Get ready to honor our Veterans on Friday, November 10th, with a Veterans Day Concert in the Park, Mac & D Duo @ 5pm-6:30pm, Los Amigos 805 @ 7pm-9pm, City Hall Plaza-see flyer online at www.FillmoreGazette.com, and in next week’s Gazette, page 10. On Saturday, November 11th, come enjoy the Veterans Day Parade at 10am, downtown Fillmore, followed by Veterans Ceremony at Fillmore Middle School (guest speaker Dick Diaz-see bio in Nov. 9th edition of Gazette) and BBQ-Veterans/Active Duty eat FREE, community $15/a plate. See Nov. 11th flyer for information online at www.FillmoreGazette.com, and in next week’s Gazette, page 10. Dual Grand Marshals Vic Westerberg (bio below), and Esmael Alonzo, (bio in next week’s Gazette) will lead the parade, sponsored by Fillmore-Piru Veteran’s Memorial District & Lions Club.

Veterans Day Grand

Marshal Victor Westerberg

Victor Westerberg U.S. Army Sergeant E-5 Vietnam 1967-1968 this year’s Veterans Day Parade Grand Marshal on Sat. Nov. 11th, 2023. Victor Westerberg is a lifelong resident of Fillmore and graduated from Fillmore High School in the class of 1965. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in July of 1966. He served his basic training at Fort Ord, CA. He then was ordered to Fort Riley Kansas to serve 9 months of advanced training with the 63rd Armor a part of the Big Red One First Division. Vic was promoted to Specialist 4th Class before leaving Fort Riley. He was then ordered to Vietnam and was assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (The Blackhorse Regiment) he was assigned to an armored personnel carrier as a gunner on the right side of the track. About halfway through his tour he was promoted to Sergeant E-5 and took over command of an armored personnel carrier Lima-33 and spent the rest of his time as a track commander behind a .50 caliber machine gun. Vic served during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He was awarded six times including the Combat Infantryman Badge and The Bronze Star Medal.
Several years after Vic returned from Vietnam he joined the Fillmore Veterans of Foreign Wars Post. Vic held the position of Jr. Vice Commander for a few years and is currently a post trustee. He has participated in funeral services and Memorial Day Services at both Piru and Bardsdale cemeteries.

Mike Duckett a Memorial Board member at the time saw that the Honor Board in the hallway of the Memorial Building was in need of updating and organizing. Mike asked Vic to help with the project. They used Lance Montee a local contractor to build new panels for the wall.

Then Vic and Mike had the task of organizing the names on the panels. Vic has helped many families to get their loved ones name put on the Wall.

For years Vic has compiled a master list of over 700 names of Veterans from the Fillmore/ Piru and surrounding areas. He was instrumental in getting the names printed on a banner to be put in the Memorial Building.
Vic was born and raised in Fillmore. He and his wife Pat have been married for 45 years and they still live in Fillmore. They have a son, David, and daughter-in-law Cathee. Grandson Kyle and his wife Alicia, and two great grandchildren Amelia and Gunnar.

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During the month of October of 2023, law enforcement nationwide, including here in the city of Fillmore, has seen Chevy Silverado pick-up trucks as a target for vehicle thefts. They are being stolen for their resale value and catalytic converters. Because the trucks have a high ground clearance, it makes it easier to get underneath them and quickly cut off the air pollution control devices.

The Fillmore Police Department is asking citizens to be diligent and to make sure that any spare keys to their vehicles are accounted for, stored in a secure location, and not left in the vehicle. This includes any wallet or hide-a keys and key fobs. The vehicles targeted are 1999 -2006 Chevy Silverado pick-up trucks.

Many people have asked what they can do to help protect their vehicles. Here are some tips to help prevent vehicle theft:

• Park in a secured garage when possible or in a well-lit area with surveillance cameras and/or where the vehicle will be seen by a passerby.
• Install motion-sensitive lighting to illuminate driveways used for parking.
• Consider adding security cameras to oversee driveway and on-street parking areas.
• Research catalytic converter anti-theft devices and weigh the pros and cons of having one installed.
• DO NOT leave keys inside the vehicle, make sure to remove any valuable items for the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.

We are asking for our community’s help to prevent vehicle thefts. If you hear strange noises during the night, such as power tools or sawing, if you see a vehicle driving suspiciously slow through your neighborhood or stopped at the side of the road, if you see or hear ANYTHING out of the ordinary, please call the Fillmore Police Station at (805) 524-2233, or Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center at (805) 654-9511. The reporting party may remain anonymous. Often, these thieves are caught when an observant resident calls the police when something looks suspicious or does not seem quite right.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Fillmore Police Department are committed to increasing and strengthening community partnerships and utilizing technologies and evidence-based practices to enhance collaborative efforts at reducing crime and improving public safety of all residents by continued community partnerships. Join us in the fight on crime by following us on Twitter @VENTURASHERIFF, Facebook, Instagram @ VCSHERIFF, and with Nixle by texting your zip code to 888777 to receive local law enforcement and public safety alerts and advisories.

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. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships.

Attached is a photograph of one of the recent suspects who was caught on Ring camera stealing a 2005 Chevy Silverado from 300 block of River Street in the city of Fillmore on October 9, 2023.

Nature of Incident: Public Awareness/Vehicle Thefts/Early Model Chevy Silverado Trucks
Location: Various locations throughout the City of Fillmore
Date & Time: October 2023
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Police Department

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon

On Sunday, October 22nd, 2023, at 12:25am, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a reported fight in progress at Surrey Way and River Street, Fillmore. Arriving deputies found a known subject in possession of a switchblade knife and was cited for PC 21510(a), a crime to carry, possess, sell or give away a switchblade. This is a misdemeanor carrying up to six months jail. A Halloween party was in progress at the Surrey Way address.

On October 18, 2023, deputies contacted and arrested Marcus Ortiz for burglarizing a local church, where he stole a credit card belonging to the church and made numerous fraudulent cash withdrawals.

On the morning of October 18, 2023, church hosts arrived at a local church located in the 1400 block of Bardsdale Avenue and discovered their place of worship had been broken into and burglarized by an unknown suspect(s) during the night.
Patrol deputies and detectives assigned to the Santa Clara Valley/Fillmore Police Station responded to the crime scene and began an investigation. The investigation revealed the suspect had entered the church and forced entry into one of the locked interior rooms where a small locked safe was stolen. The safe contained a credit card belonging to the church.
Further investigation revealed the suspect then used the credit card belonging to the church to make unauthorized ATM withdrawals at several locations throughout the cities of Fillmore, Santa Paula, and Ventura. The suspect was quickly identified as Marcus Ortiz, a local Fillmore probationer. Utilizing several investigative techniques, and with the assistance of Sheriff’s Communication Center-Advanced Real Time Information Center (ARTIC) dispatchers, Ortiz was located at the Pacific View Mall in the City of Ventura.

On October 18, 2023, at approximately 2:00 PM, detectives located Ortiz at the mall, and he was arrested without incident. Ortiz was in possession of evidence linking him to the church burglary and identity thefts. In addition, Ortiz was in possession of an illegal / concealed billy club. Ortiz was subsequently booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility for burglary, three counts of identity theft and possession of an illegal weapon. Ortiz remains in custody with his bail set at $50,000.

Nature of Incident: Church Burglary and Identity Theft Arrest
Report Number: 23-133857
Location: 1400 Block of Bardsdale Avenue, Unincorporated area of Ventura County / Fillmore
Date & Time: October 17, 2023 @ 11:00 PM ~ 3:00 AM
Unit(s) Responsible: Santa Clara Valley Station Patrol, Santa Clara Valley Station Detectives, Sheriff’s Communication Center/Advanced Real Time Information Center (ARTIC)

(S)uspects,(V)ictims,(P)arty,(D)ecedent
(S) Marcus Ortiz Fillmore 22

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Will Hollowell
Approved by: Captain Eduardo Malagon, Fillmore Police Chie