Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On April 19, 2009 at about 6:15 a.m., Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Piru Market and Liquor in Piru to investigate a commercial burglary that occurred earlier in the morning. When a store employee arrived to open the business, she discovered someone had forced entry and took cash, lottery tickets, cigarettes, liquor and other merchandise. The total loss was estimated at about $6,500.00.

Later that same day, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was investigating a traffic collision that occurred near Lake Piru. During their investigation, they discovered one of the drivers was in possession of some of the items stolen from the market. A coordinated investigation between CHP, Piru Lake Rangers and Sheriff’s Deputies resulted in the identification of two additional suspects at a Lake Piru campsite.

Most of the stolen property was recovered. The three suspects, Bennett Nevin 18, Joseph Avelino 19 and Sean Dominique 19, all from Simi Valley, were arrested for felony commercial burglary and felony conspiracy to commit a crime. They were booked at the Ventura County Jail with bail set at $20,000.00 each.

The public is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (805) 654-9511 or 524-2233 if they have any information on the case.

Courtesy of Fillmore Police Department Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

VANDALISM
04/08/09
900 Ventura Street
04/10/09
East Telegraph Road
04/11/09
Central Ave/Santa Clara St.
04/13/09
N. C St/King Street
04/14/09
500 Block Central Avenue

THEFT/OTHER
04/08/09
600 Block Ventura Street
04/08/09
600 Block Ventura Street
04/08/09
400 Block River Street CONTINUED »

Fillmore City Finance Director and City Manager, Barbara Smith, tendered her letter of retirement to the city council this week. She is retiring after 23 years with the city because of the “hostile environment” brought in by the new council members and recently appointed Mayor Patti Walker. Smith is the fourth top management member to leave office in the last two months.

The Fillmore City Council met on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. Council Member Steve Conaway was absent. The Council sat with the Senior Center Board, discussed the turnover rate and employee morale at City Hall, and heard an update on possible soil contamination at the Heritage Valley Parks Specific Plan area. The City will hold a Goal Setting Workshop during the Special Meeting on April 22nd.

The resignation of Finance Director Barbara Smith was not discussed publicly at meeting, however The Gazette received an announcement from Mayor Patti Walker concerning Smith’s announced departure: “On April 14, Finance Director Barbara Smith forwarded to me and City Attorney, Ted Schneider, by email her notice of retirement. Ms. Smith indicated in her notice that she has been advised by the pension representative that her remaining until July 1 would bring no additional retirement benefit to her. As a result, May 14, 2009, will be her final day with the city. Ms. Smith has also indicated that she values her privacy and has requested that there not be any public honor or acknowledgment of her 23 years of service.

As Mayor, and on behalf of the City Council, well wishes and heartfelt thanks are extended to Barbara for her work, service and support she has extended to the council and community of Fillmore. Patti Walker, Mayor.” The Gazette wishes Ms. Smith all the best.

The meeting began with a joint session with the Senior Center Board. The Board and Council discussed their mutual responsibilities, and reviewed the Senior Center Budget. The Board will cooperate with Facilities Supervisor Annette Cardona to allot time for the seniors to play cards at the Senior Center, which is often used by Parks and Recreation programs in the afternoons and evenings. The Council approved use of the Senior Center even when not staffed by a full-time City employee, and will look into obtaining computer donations to improve the computer program. CONTINUED »

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For the second year in a row 370 students at Mountain Vista Elementary are now published authors! One of Mountain Vista’s main goals for their students this year is that every student will be proficient at writing. The students worked through the entire writing process from prewriting, editing, drafting, and illustrating in order to have their own hardbound, full color book. The program is through Student Treasures, a student publishing program based in Kansas. After the students completed their book kits they were sent to the publishers. The publishers color copied the kits and bound them for free. Parents were given the option to purchase additional copies of the books, which were a little less than $18 each after shipping and handling. Some classrooms opted to create a class book. Each student authored a page and created an illustration to be apart of the book. While other classrooms had each student author and illustrate a 15 page book of their own. Each of these books will be a treasure to look at for years to come.

Victor Meraz

In May 2007 victim Alberto Avalos was leaving the area of a party in the 800 block of Blaine Avenue in Fillmore. While standing with other partygoers he was shot and killed in an apparent gang related homicide.

The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit opened a criminal investigation into the death of Avalos. Investigators followed leads between Fillmore and Victorville, California, developing information that identified Victor Meraz as being involved in the shooting of Avalos.

Today, after a two-year investigation, Sheriff’s Homicide Detectives arrested Victor Meraz for the shooting death of Alberto Avalos. Meraz was arrested while in custody on an unrelated matter at the Sheriff’s Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On April 15, 2009 at about 2:35 A.M., Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to a home in the 400 Block of 4th Street in the City of Fillmore on a report that a robbery had just occurred inside the home. Deputies received information that the suspect ran from the scene, but was possibly hiding in the area.

Patrol deputies quickly responded to the victim's home and simultaneously searched the area for the 17 year old female suspect. Deputies at the home found two victims identified as a mother and daughter. The suspect was identified as a close relative of the family. The victims reported to deputies that the suspect unexpectedly arrived and forced entry into the home as they slept. The suspect confronted the 19 year-old victim and the mother in their room. The suspect brandished a knife at the two victims, threatening to cut the 19 year-old victim's throat and then cut the mother's arm causing a minor injury. The 19 year-old victim was unharmed. As the victims attempted to call the police, the suspect took the phone preventing them from calling. The suspect stole money from the mother's purse and fled with the 19 year-old victim's purse. Patrol deputies in search of the suspect, arrested her about two blocks from the home. At the time of the arrest, the suspect was carrying some of the stolen property.

The suspect was charged with felony counts of armed robbery, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and preventing a victim from reporting a crime to the public. The suspect was lodged in Juvenile Hall. Fillmore Police Department Ventura County Sheriffs Department.

Like many institutions around the state, Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) is struggling to make ends meet. The District had already cut its 2007-2008 school-year budget by $1.2 million as funding reductions required, leaving few if any superfluous budget items. The economic downturn has necessitated further reductions. FUSD must reduce its 2009-2010 budgets by an additional $1.7 million.

The School Board has held Budget Study Sessions on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays for the past few months to proactively address the problem. At both the special sessions and the regular board meetings, tensions have been building between the various involved parties. Dr. Mike Bush, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, has provided a budget update at each meeting, usually accompanied by District Office staff recommendations for potential cuts. Most District employees are categorized as certificated (teachers), classified, or confidential, and two of those groups have union representation which is anxious to alleviate the impact of budget cuts on its members. CSEA (California School Employees Association) represents classified employees such as teachers’ aides, library clerks, computer lab instructional assistants, food service workers, school office staff, custodians, maintenance, and grounds workers. FUTA (Fillmore Unified Teachers Association) represents teachers. Fifty-six percent of the proposed cuts are in personnel. Eighty-seven percent of the District’s budget is for employee costs, including salary and health benefits.

According to Superintendent Jeff Sweeney, “The administration has worked diligently to ensure that no one group takes a disproportionate reduction over other groups.” Fillmore teacher and FUTA President Theresa Marvel disagrees. She said that the District has fewer classified employees than ever, and fewer teachers than ever, but a larger district administration and confidential staff than ever before. Marvel claims the number of district administrators and their support staff has grown disproportionately to enrollment. She also noted that teachers and classified employees are expected to provide more services than ever before. CONTINUED »

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Fillmore resident Marcos A. Ruvalcaba, 32 years, was promoted to a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps on March 30, 2009. 1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba attended Fillmore schools until the 9th grade when he transferred to St. Bonaventure High School. At St. Bonaventure he participated in soccer and baseball before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in February 1998. While in the United States Marine Corps he attended Chapman University from 2002-2005 where he studied Criminal Justice. 1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba continued his college education as an enlisted Marine and earned a Batchelor of Arts degree which allowed him to attend Officer Candidates School. After completing Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on March 30, 2007 just nine years after enlisting in the United States Marine Corps.

1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba is the son of Aurelia and Jose Refugio Ruvalcaba of Fillmore. His siblings are Pablo 30 years of Santa Monica, CA, Victor 28 years of Santa Monica, CA, Jose 26 years of Fillmore and Mariza 22 years of Oregon. His maternal Grandparents are Manuel and the late Inez Aparicio of Fillmore and paternal Grandparents Longinos and the late Pachita Ruvalcaba of Fillmore. 1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba has one cousin serving in the military; Alfredo Quesada served four years in the United States Navy Reserves.

Currently 1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba is a Ground Intelligence Officer with the Military Transition Team 0720 (MiTT) from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California embedded with an Iraqi Army Brigade in Al Anbar province Baghdadi, Iraq. He has been deployed for one year and has five months remaining on his deployment. This is his second deployment to Iraq. When 1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on March 30, 2009 an Iraqi Army Officer (Lieutenant Colonel equivalent) pinned his silver bars on his collar. 1st Lieutenant Ruvalcaba believes this was the first time an Iraqi Officer participated in the promotion of an American Officer! CONTINUED »

One hundred and thirty-two years ago this month, on the site of present day Fillmore, there was a hideous crime committed that shocked the entire state and received significant national media attention. In the early morning hours of March 24, 1877, under the cover of darkness, masked men shot and killed Thomas Wallace More the owner of Rancho Sespe. More and his three brothers owned substantial holdings in California. Most of the property was obtained by purchasing Mexican land grants that had been awarded to prominent Mexican families prior to California becoming part of the United States. Included in these holdings were Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy, Rancho Lompoc, Rancho del Purisima, La Patera and Santa Rosa Island.

In the early 1850's Rancho Sespe was purchased in a administrator's sale from the family of Don Carlos Antonio Carrillo who had obtained it in a 1829 grant in return for his military service to Mexico. The terms of the purchase, and the resulting payment made by the Mores, was for all the property on both sides of the Santa Clara River from Mupu (Santa Paula) Creek to Piru Creek, and from mountain to mountain on each side. The area encompassed six square leagues which is approximately eighteen square miles. The Mores raised sheep and cattle on the ranch. After the end of the Civil War and the winding down of the California Gold Rush, many of the participants in those events, looking for a new start, opted to settle on and claim land in accordance with the Homestead Act of 1862. A number of those individuals ended up near the junction of Sespe Creek and the Santa Clara River quite near Thomas More's ranch house. A dispute soon arose between CONTINUED »

US Army Specialist Mark Thompson.
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United States Army Specialist (Promotable) Mark Thompson, 34 years, is about to deploy for his third tour in Iraq. Specialist Mark Thompson attended schools in Ventura, Camarillo and Oxnard before graduation in 2000. He participated in Water Polo and Year Book Photography while Camarillo High School. He enlisted into the United States Army on May 23, 2003 and completed his Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Advanced Individualized Training at Fort Eustis, Virginia, Airborne Training at Fort Benning, Georgia returning again to Fort Eustis for Non-Destructive Inspection Certification. Specialist Mark Thompson is considering the United States Army as a career and reenlisted on March 19, 2007 for an additional six years. Specialist Mark Thompson is currently stationed with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Bravo Company 615th Aviation Support Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas.

Specialist Mark Thompson has earned Military distinction by being awarded; two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Good Conduct Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal. CONTINUED »

Espeanza Hurtado the Mother of Alfredo Hurtado.
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(l-r) The family: son Lucas Thompson (2 yrs) held by father Mark Thompson, son Connor Thompson (11 yrs), Mother Sheryl Feldhans and brother David Thompson (21 yrs).
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On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. eight more banners were installed on Central Avenue as part of the Military Banner Program. An enthusiastic and proud group of family and friends watched as City of Fillmore crews installed the Banners on the historic street lamp posts of Central Avenue. The eight young men and women are Senior Master Sergeant Michelle Hart (USAF), Second Lieutenant Christopher Gurrola (USAF), Airman First Class Ryan Hackney (USAF), Staff Sergeant Kevin Vest (Army), Petty Officer First Class William Foster (Navy), Specialist Mark Thompson (Army) Staff Sergeant Alfredo Hurtado (Army) and Chief Petty Officer Garrett Kendrick (Navy). The eight now proudly stand with the initial five already installed and six more have been ordered and will be installed in the near future.

The “Military Banner Program” is to honor the young men and women of our community who are currently serving in the military. The intent of the “Military Banner Program” is to recognize their service and the sacrifices they are now making and will make in the future to keep our Country safe. The “Patriotic Banners” that will be placed on Central Avenue on the light poles will be partially funded by the families of those currently serving and the remainder funded by grants. Each banner will have the name and branch of service of those young men and women from the Fillmore/Piru communities currently serving in the military. When the person named on the banner is no longer serving the banner will be given to the person named on the banner or to a family member.

The “Military Banner Program” is an effort begun by Fillmore School Board Member Virginia de la Piedra, in conjunction with the City of Fillmore, Fillmore Unified School Board, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9637 and the Fillmore Sunrise Rotary. It is similar to other programs begun by other cities including the City of Santa Paula.

To participate in this recognition a family member of a currently serving military man or woman should contact: Virginia A. de la Piedra – School Board Member / Up for Education (805) 524-1732 FAX (805) 524-4154, or Email - militarybanners@yahoo.com

You will be required to complete a short form and provide the following information that will be used to administer the program: A “Military Recognition Form” must be completed by either the individual whose name will appear on the banner, or a family member. This form may be picked up at City Hall or you may call or email Virginia at the numbers listed above. The form asks for the name and branch of service of the currently serving military person to be recognized as well as some additional contact information. CONTINUED »

We have all heard stories of good coming from tragedy, and “Friends of the Library” began just that way. In December 1985, Fillmore residents Roberta Nelson and her husband Charles, a local veterinarian, lost their cherished adopted son John in a private plane crash during a blinding snowstorm, en route to a Christmas skiing vacation in Utah. In lieu of cards or gifts, Roberta, a kindergarten through second grade teacher for many years, and later, Curriculum Coordinator and Material Specialist at San Cayetano Elementary School, requested cash donations, to purchase books in John’s memory for the Fillmore Library. Honoring her son and reflecting her own interest in the betterment of the community, Roberta and a small committee began organizational efforts for the Fillmore Chapter of the Friends of the Library.

During the next four years, Roberta, Myrna Taylor, Judy Dunst, Betty Rubel, Helen Knight, Janine Rees, Mary Winterstein and Betty Hardison spent untold hours contacting librarians and chapter presidents for guidance. Rees and Isabel Galvan contacted local clubs, while County Librarian, Betty Cook, handled publicity and filed the Federal and State forms for tax exemption and non-profit status. The organizational committee met on April 19, 1989, elected its first official officers, and incorporated on March 20, 1990. CONTINUED »

The Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board and Fillmore City Council sat together in a joint meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. This was the first joint meeting of the two bodies since the Council changed over after the November 2008 election. Joint meetings had been scheduled earlier in the year, but were postponed on account of scheduling conflicts and lack of urgent business by mutual agreement. Tuesday’s agenda included forging a cooperative bond, planning community access to Fillmore High School’s all-weather track, directing City staff regarding traffic safety for Mountain Vista students, discussing the Military banner project, and status updates on the Water Recycling Project construction and the Fillmore pool.

After considerable discussion amongst themselves, the Board and Council made separate but coordinated decisions to proceed with a pilot program for community use of the FHS track. Interim City Manager Bill Bartels announced that the City would be opening up the Fillmore pool to individuals for adult lap swimming sessions sometime in April. To facilitate fee management, security, and statistical analysis of usage, the City has purchased a key card system with management software. Because a back path connects the pool to the FHS track, the key card gate could provide restricted access to the pool and track during adult lap swim. Members of a City-founded running club will receive key cards. Bartels and Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush are working together to iron out the details. The Board has decided that the pilot program will provide access to the track from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. because FHS is not using the track area at that time. The Board has a policy against allowing outsiders on the track during team practices, but agreed to reconsider that policy at a future Board meeting when coaches would be present to provide feedback. The Council directed City staff to investigate the community’s needs and include consideration of afternoon or evening accessibility in its proposal. Interested runners and walkers should contact Bartels. CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Unit Responsible: Fillmore Gang Unit

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnesses, Address, Age
(S-1) Juvenile, Fillmore, 16
(S-2) Juvenile, Fillmore, 17
(V-1) Adult, Fillmore, 22
(V-2) Adult, Fillmore, 49

On Sunday, March 22, 2009, at about 9:45 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 1000 Block of King St. in Fillmore to investigate the assault of two adult males. Deputies arrived to find that both victims suffered moderate to serious injuries from being kicked, punched and hit with a rock by the assailants. In the investigation, deputies discovered that gang members had attacked the two victims in two separate but related incidents. The first occurred in the 1000 block of King Street and the second followed in the 600 block of Lemon Way in Fillmore.

The Fillmore Gang Unit investigated the case, which led to the arrest of two juveniles who are known Fillmore gang members. Both juveniles were charged with battery resulting in serious injury, participating in a criminal street gang crime, and conspiring to commit a crime; all felony offenses. The two juveniles were lodged into juvenile hall.

The attacks are still under investigation and gang investigators expect to make more arrests in the case.