Community
Two Subjects Arrested for Arson and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime
| Nature of Incident: | Two Subjects Arrested for Arson and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime | ||||
| Report Number: | 24-152043 | ||||
| Location: | 5000 Block of West Gonzales Road, Oxnard | ||||
| Date & Time: | 12/3/2024, 9:00 AM | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Homeless Liaison Unit (HLU) | ||||
| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
| (S) Roberto Banuelos (S) Alejandro Ruiz |
Oxnard Oxnard |
43 29 |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office HLU arrested two subjects for lighting a reckless fire and conspiracy to commit a crime. On 12/2/2024, a concerned citizen contacted the HLU regarding illegal encampments near the 5000 block of W. Gonzales Road. This area consisted of several privately owned and maintained agricultural and industrial properties. On 12/3/2024, Deputies from the HLU conducted a site survey of the area. During the site survey, Deputies observed a plume of smoke along the bank of a nearby water channel. Upon further inspection, Deputies located an active fire on the ground in an illegal encampment. The fire was surrounded by a large amount of dry brush and dead shrubbery. The fire was extinguished with on-scene resources, which prevented it from spreading to a larger area. After the fire was extinguished, HLU Deputies began an investigation related to the incident. The residents of the encampment were present and identified as Roberto Banuelos and Alejandro Ruiz. HLU Deputies learned Banuelos and Ruiz were illegally camping on the property and lit the fire with a propane torch. Any fires in an encampment, regardless of size, pose a significant threat to public safety. Due to the rural areas of encampments, fires often spread uncontrolled. These fires pose a threat to others in the area and require numerous resources due to their remote locations. They also damage local habitats, along with threatening wildlife, and endangered species. At the conclusion of the investigation, both subjects were arrested for violation of PC 452(c), starting a reckless fire, and PC 182(a)(1), conspiracy to commit a crime. Banuelos was also arrested for an unrelated outstanding warrant. Both subjects were booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility. The HLU is a full-time team comprised of 2 Sergeants and 8 Deputies. The team works seven days per week and is tasked with addressing issues related to People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH) throughout the county. The team regularly conducts site surveys, which connect PEH with services and resources to reduce homelessness. The HLU partners with agencies such as Ventura County Public Works, Ventura County Health Care Agency, Ventura County Continuum of Care, Ventura County Behavioral Health, and Ventura County Human Services Agency. The HLU is committed to engaging with the community to educate and build relationships with the most vulnerable populations within Ventura County. |
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant James Douglas | ||||
| News Release Date: | 12/6/2024 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Sergeant James Douglas 805-388-5141 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Cameron Henderson 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