Ventura County Crime Blog: January 2007

Are you for or against the legalization of marijuana?

Submit your thoughts for our upcoming editorial regarding the pros and cons.

Are you sleeping with the enemy?

Malaika Cohen, author of SHACKLES- Overcoming Domestic Abuse a Modern Day Taboo, shares her experience as a domestic abuse survivor and how you can help others in similar situations.

Unsolved Murder: Mike Grair

On October 10, 2008, Michael Grair's body was found inside his white Cadillac Escalade behind a vacant commercial center he owned. The engine was still running. His murder has yet to be solved and his family is offering $100,000 for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the killer or killers.

Ventura County Crime Library

Our newest feature Includes gang information, unsolved murders and high profile cases.

Become our guest blogger

Reporter: Elidet Reyes 0 Responses

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."

-Author Unknown

This blog was created with the intention to help lower crime in Ventura County. Day in and day out, citizens of Ventura County complain about our crime statistics, but only a handful contribute by becoming involved in their local community.

Are you one of them? Then we want you to write for 805 Vigilantes!

Guest Blogger Requirements

-Blog must be grammatically correct, spell check a must. We will be available for editing.

-Message must be clear, concise and logical. We are not looking for people who need to vent or rant. We are looking for bloggers who see a problem yet be able to offer solutions.

-Accuracy and sources will be required if facts are to be stated. We will be fact checking all entries.

Topics

-Crime prevention

-Rehabilitation

-Gangs/Taggers

-Community outreach

-High profile cases in Ventura County

-Vandalism

-Legal system

-Law enforcement

-Other topics related to crime

This is not a paid position. Guest bloggers will be volunteering their knowledge for the improvement of the community, and we appreciate it tremendously.

Regular bloggers vs Occasional bloggers

-Regular bloggers will be those who can submit two blogs or more per month. We will have a profile page for regular bloggers with an intro about the blogger as well as links to all the submissions. Picture required.

-Occasional bloggers will be those who submit less than one blog every 30 days. Picture required.

How to submit your blog entry

-For consideration, please use the contact form with "guest blogger" as the subject headline.

-You can either cut and paste your entry on the contact form, or if you have a blog you currently host, you may also provide the link.

We look forward to reading your entries.

-The Ventura County Crime Blog

Wanted for Murder

Reporter: Ellen Rodriguez 0 Responses

Female/Hispanic

Approx. 5'4" tall

Approx. 250 lbs

Light complexion

Brown eyes

Blond highlights

Heavy makeup

Male/Hispanic

Approx. 6' + tall

Approx. 280-300 lbs

Light complexion

Brown hair & eyes

Short brown hair

May go by the nickname "Oso"

Vehicle

Late 1990's or early 2000's Honda Accord or Toyota Sedan

Tan color/ 4-door

Lowered/tinted windows & custom rims

Should have front end damage from striking Zarate.

License plate had a "1G" or "1Q"

This is another version of the suspect according to witnesses.

There may have been up to 4 suspects involved.

Details:

On the evening of May 2, 2008 the victim, Richard Zarate along with his wife Monica and a group of friends were at Loffler’s Bar at 8901 Katella Ave, in Anaheim.

Zarate and his friends exited the bar shortly after 0100 hours. A verbal and minor physical altercation took place in front of the bar involving subjects in Zarate’s group with another group of people which was broken up by Loffler’s security. The argument involved a man in the other group urinating on a wall in front of women.

As Zarate and his friends walked toward their vehicle parked several yards away from the bar, the subjects from the earlier altercation drove up in what witnesses describe as a light colored 4 door late 90’s or early 2000 Honda or Toyota sedan possibly with tinted windows and custom rims .

The subjects in the vehicle grabbed Zarate’s wife Monica while the vehicle was still driving, engaging her in a physical fight. Richard Zarate apparently attempted to intervene in the fight on his wife’s behalf and was caught underneath the moving vehicle. The vehicle dragged Zarate nearly 200 feet prior to running him over near the intersection of Mac St. and Regal Ave.

The vehicle continued North along Mac St., made a U-turn and drove back by the victim who was now being joined by his wife and friends. The vehicle was last seen turning west on Katella Ave. from Mac St.

Richard Zarate died later at UCI Medical Center of multiple injuries he suffered during this incident. The suspect vehicle contained at least one male and one to three female occupants.

The driver sped away without stopping.

The family is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of this case. Crime Stoppers is offering up to an additional $1,000 for a tip that leads to an arrest.

You can remain anonymous:

Call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

Text 274637 - text "tip375" plus your message

Web TipSubmit.com

Unsolved Murders

Reporter: Charlene Davidson 0 Responses

>Back to the Crime Library

We cannot solve these cases without the cooperation of the Citizens of Ventura County.

If you have information on any of these cases, please do NOT contact us. Please contact local authorities or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), where you can remain anonymous.

If you are a family member of the victim and would like to provide us pictures or more information, please email the Crime Reports Editor: CrimeReports [at] VenturaCountyCrimeBlog.com

1979

1. Josefina Martinez, Santa Paula, 24

1980

2 & 3. Charlene, 33, & Lyman Smith, 43, Ventura Killed by Original Night Stalker

1981

4. Rachel Zendejas, Camarillo, 20

1987

5. Pedro Pachuca, Santa Paula, 34

1989

6. Florence Hackney, Fillmore, 90

1996
7 & 8. Jesus Silva Onofre, 22, & Manuel Encarnacion, Oxnard, 28 Durley Park Murders
9. Daniel Garcia Lara, Oxnard, 18
10. Antonio Rodriguez, Santa Paula, 27

1997
11. Jose Basilan, Oxnard, 24 *suspect has been sentenced*
12. Monica Lynne Leech, Thousand Oaks, 39
13. Jake Bush, Ventura, 16 (PDF)
14. Nick Dowey, Ojai, 21
15. Jennifer Ann McLaughlin, Ventura, 21
16. Gabriela Maldonado, Oxnard, 15

1998
17. Louie Fonseca, Santa Paula, 27
18. Genaro Jimenez, Oxnard, 17
19. Esther Sanborn, Camarillo, 76

1999
20. Joseph Michael Strickland, Ventura, 43
21. Raymond Sanchez, Oxnard, 22
22. Jesse Rivas, Oxnard, 28
23. Gilberto Avilas, Oxnard, 36

2000
24. David Wayne Dowden, Ventura, 36
25. Leobardo Lizarraga, Santa Paula, 41
26. Elizabeth Salas, Oxnard, 24
27. Artemio Vargas Martinez, Oxnard, 43
28. James Boyce, Oxnard, 42
29. Felipe Ramirez, Oxnard, 17
30. Raymond Caballero, Oxnard, 22
31. Ricardo Rangel, Oxnard, 57
32. Rogelio Torres, Santa Paula, 20
33. Froilan Encinas Torres, Santa Paula, 47

2001
34. Anthony Rodriguez, Oxnard, 30
35. Israel Mendez, Oxnard, 20
36. Gabriel Gil Flores, Santa Monica Mountains, 32
37. Ralph McLaughlin, Oxnard, 38
38. Saul Rojas, Oxnard, 24

2002
39. Isaac Hughes, Oxnard, 61
40. Salvador Perez Chavez, Santa Paula, 16
41. Joseph McMullen, Santa Paula, 29
42. Lucille Jefferson, Oxnard, 22
43. Javier Marquez, Oxnard, 15
44. Jose Pimentel, Ventura, 20
45. Emilio Fernandez, Oxnard, 28
46. Juan Manuel Ramirez Jr., Oxnard, 23
47. Steven Lemos, Oxnard, 24 *REWARD* $60,000
48. Steven Miinster, Oxnard, 15
49. Jose Jaime Quinones Arellano, Santa Paula, 27
50. Salvador Martinez, Oxnard, 27

2003
51. Jordan Daniel LeGrand, Thousand Oaks, 23
52. Ralph Lopez, Oxnard, 35
53. Gustavo Ramirez, Santa Paula, 21
54. Ignacio Henry Castro, Santa Paula, 23
55. Jesse Cardenas, Oxnard, 27
56. Rene Rodriguez, Fillmore, 27
57. Daniel Leon, Oxnard, 22
58. David Zuniga, Oxnard, 36, 29
59. Brian Brown, Oxnard, 28
60. Augustine David Medina, Oxnard, 19
61. Gilberto Gutierrez Hernandez, Oxnard, 19
62. Froylan Martinez, Oxnard, 16
63. James West, Ventura, 21
64. Jorge Ruiz Martinez, Oxnard, 36
65. Peter Nicholas Serrano, Fillmore, 21
66. Ricardo Veronica, Oxnard, 21

2004
67. Anthony Palomares, Oxnard, 45
68. Juan Carlos Martinez, Oxnard, 22
69. Anthony Roseby, Port Hueneme, 21
70. Richard Gonzalez, Port Hueneme, 19
71. Joshua Lee Chavez, Oxnard, 20
72. Oscar Manuel Villa Cortes, Oxnard, 27
73. Fernando Mosqueda, Oxnard, 17
74. Jeffrey James Haerterich, Oxnard, 34
75. Randy Lynn Garner, Frazier Park, 31
76. Daniel Hernandez, Oxnard, 28
77. Dennis Wood, Moorpark, 71
78. Jose Garcia Rivera, Oxnard, 27
79. Richard Palazuelos, Fillmore, 26
80. Rafael Arreguin, Santa Paula, 42
81. Oscar Rosendo Ponce, Oxnard, 33
82. Roland Espinosa, Oxnard, 20
83. Kristopher Reeves, Ventura, 15
84. Jose Asencion Perez, Oxnard, 18
85. Adrian Ernest James Burton, Oxnard, 33

2005
86. Ronnie Perez, Oxnard, 45
87. Damien Jamahl Valentine, Port Hueneme, 27
88. Ralph De La Cerda, Oxnard, 55
89. removed entry
90. James Kurges, Port Hueneme, 31
91. Simon Aristegui, Oxnard, 30
92. Gerardo Estrada Gomez, Oxnard, 52
93. Joaquin Castaneda, Oxnard, 48
94. Adam Villegas, Port Hueneme, 17
95. Elizabeth Castro Renteria, Oxnard, 22

2006
96. Oscar Gonzalez, Oxnard, 25
97. Clyde Blount, Saticoy, 46
98. Elisabeth Ayala, Oxnard, 50
99. Adrian Pulido, Oxnard, 19
100. Krystopher de Jon Jackson, Simi Valley, 17
101. Jesse Gutierrez Jr., Saticoy, 14
102. Alfred Romero Jr., Saticoy, 18
103. Gloria Altamirano-Guerra, Oxnard, 22
104. Octavio Lopez, Oxnard, 29
105. Walter Roldolfo Vela, Simi Valley, 24
106. Romulo Sanchez-Miguel, Oxnard, 33
107. Nicacio Ruiz-Valdez, Frazier Park, 29
108. Francisco Torres Gonzales, Port Hueneme, 59
109. Miguel Magana, Santa Paula, 21
110. Carlos Prado, Oxnard, 29

2007
111. Jose Erik Esqueda, Oxnard, 25
112. Albert Avalos, Fillmore, 23 *update* suspect has been caught
113. Christian Garcia, Oxnard, 18
114. Barry Franklin, 48
115. Sophear Riem, 20

2008
116. Jose Camacho, 22
117. Armando Sepulveda, 27
118. Jorge Zavala, 38
119. Richard Zarate, 28 killed in Anaheim, CA