Community
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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Arrest of Assault with a Deadly Weapon / Domestic Violence / Criminal Threats Suspect
| Nature of Incident: | Arrest of Assault with a Deadly Weapon / Domestic Violence / Criminal Threats Suspect |
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| Report Number: | 23-164425 | |||||
| Location: | Santa Clara River Bottom, Oxnard Santa Clara River Bottom, Ventura |
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| Date & Time: | January 9th, 2024 @ 12:00 PM | |||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Headquarters Patrol Station Investigations and Patrol | |||||
| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | ||||
| (S) Michael Turner (V) Adult Female (V) Adult Female |
Ventura Ventura Oxnard |
29 27 52 |
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| Narrative: | ||||||
| On 12/28/2023, at approximately 12:00 PM, Headquarters Patrol Station deputies responded Code-3 (lights and sirens) to the Santa Clara River bottom, north of the intersection of Central Avenue and Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard, regarding a call of a battery in progress. One of the female victims stated the suspect, Michael Turner, was attacking people with a large knife. Headquarters Patrol Station detectives, West County Special Enforcement Unit detectives, and a Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit helicopter responded to assist Headquarters Patrol Station deputies with the investigation and a search of the Santa Clara River bottom area for Turner. Unfortunately, due to the dense foliage and difficult terrain, Turner was not located. An extensive investigation was completed, and deputies learned Turner had battered his girlfriend with a large object and his hands causing several visible injuries. Turner brandished a large wooden object and a large knife at the victim. Turner proceeded to make credible threats towards the victim, causing her to be in fear for her safety. During the incident, Turner also made a credible threat toward another adult female victim causing her to be in fear for her safety. Numerous investigative means were used to attempt to locate Turner. On 1/9/2024, at approximately 12:00 PM, Turner was taken into custody in the Santa Clara River bottom, south of Kennebec Linear Park in Ventura. Turner was booked into the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Pre-Trial Detention Facility for assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, and criminal threats. Turner’s bail was set at $50,000.00. The Santa Clara River bottom is filled with dense vegetation and a flowing river which standard patrol vehicles are unable to access. There are fires, wild animals, violent unsecured domesticated dogs, hazardous materials, and numerous other threats to public safety creating an unsafe environment for the transient community, and the police officers responding to assist them. The Santa Clara River bottom has numerous transient encampments that have been set up over an extended period of time. The transient encampments are located within a flood zone and are highly susceptible to fires and flooding. Additionally, various protected animals and vegetation live within the Santa Clara River bottom. Over the last 10-years, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office have responded to the Santa Clara River bottom for numerous incidents including fires (some arson investigations), overdoses, and various other crimes. Due to the calls for service and the geographic location, the Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura Police Department have also responded to the Santa Clara River bottom for various calls for service. The community residing in the Santa Clara River bottom frequently requires emergency services creating a need for a new approach to providing these services. Current methods of providing these services have been challenging in this difficult environment. Many of these communities or encampments are connected by small 4–6-foot paths which are only accessible on foot or on small all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s). ATVs are exceptionally adept at navigating the terrain and waterways in these areas. It is important for the police to provide safety, security, and services to the transient community. A large portion of the transient community residing in these remote areas suffer from substance abuse problems and/or have some type of mental health diagnosis requiring behavioral health services.In an effort to assist with these needs, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Liaison Unit regularly assists the transients within the Santa Clara River bottom by providing resources and services. The resources that are provided include services with Ventura County Behavioral Health, Ventura County Human Services Agency, and numerous other agenciesAdditionally, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has allocated all-terrain vehicles to the units responding to emergencies in, and investigating crimes which occur in, the Santa Clara River bottom. These ATV’s have been instrumental in accessing the more remote areas of the Santa Clara River bottom. |
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| Prepared by: | Detective Victor Holmes Jr. | |||||
| Media Release Date: | January 10th, 2024 | |||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Sergeant Scott Baxter (805) 654-2361 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain William Britt YES NO |
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Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511