Community
Task Force conducts “Shoplift With a Cop” Blitz Operation in Ventura
| Nature of Incident: | Task Force conducts “Shoplift With a Cop” Blitz Operation in Ventura | ||||||
| Report Number: | 24-117365 | ||||||
| Location: | Various retail establishments at the Pacific View Mall, Ventura | ||||||
| Date & Time: | 12/6/24 and 12/7/24 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm | ||||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force, Ventura Police Department, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office - Bureau of Investigations, Sheriff’s West County Special Enforcement Unit, Thousand Oaks Police, Camarillo Police |
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||||
| (S) Borchard, William (S) French, Alyona (S) Velasquez, Fredy (S) Zazueta, Jonathan (S) Martinez, Randy (S) Martin, Skylar (S) Raley, Matthew (S) Romero, Anthony (S) Munoz, Richard (S) Ross, Travis (S) Fernandez, Andres (S) Arsenault, Candice (S) Honsberger, Ashlee (S) Hartman, Savanah (S) Hartman, Sahrayah (S) Aragon, Jacob (S) Martinez, Erika (S) Lucero, Valentin (S) Valdez, Tony (S) Lara, Heraclio (S) Martinez, William |
Ventura Ventura Santa Paula Transient - Oxnard Santa Paula Transient - Ventura Ventura Oxnard Ventura Ojai Oxnard Oxnard Ventura Oxnard Oxnard Camarillo Ventura Ventura Ventura Ventutra Ventura |
32 33 18 24 35 26 43 34 39 34 35 43 27 18 21 22 29 53 37 29 45 |
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| Narrative: | |||||||
| While many Ventura County residents embraced the holiday spirit of giving at this past weekend’s “Shop with a Cop” event, others had a much different idea and found themselves in handcuffs as a result of the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force’s “Shoplift With a Cop” blitz operation. The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force continued its holiday time “blitz” operations around the county, this time at the Pacific View Mall in the city of Ventura. Last Friday and Saturday, the task force partnered with Loss Prevention and Asset Protection teams from Target, JCPenney, and Macy’s, as well as Allied Security, which provides security services for the Pacific View Mall. The operation led to the arrest of 21 adults and 16 juveniles, the recovery of nearly $2,000 in stolen property, and the seizure of burglary tools and various narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. This effort highlights the significant shoplifting challenges affecting not only the mall but also businesses across the county. Blitz operations are common strategies deployed by law enforcement to concentrate on specific retail establishment(s) to combat theft by collaborating with Loss Prevention officers. Detectives with the Task Force teamed up with members of the Sheriff’s West County Special Enforcement Unit, the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations as well as other personnel from various assignments within the Sheriff’s Office. The Task Force was assisted by officers from the Ventura Police Department and patrol deputies from the Thousand Oaks and Camarillo stations. The Task Force welcomes retailers from throughout the county who are experiencing significant retail theft and want to participate in similar blitz operations to call their main line at (805) 383-8703. The Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force was formed after the Sheriff’s Office was awarded grant funding under the California Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program. This program formalizes a coordinated effort, overseen by the Sheriff’s Office, involving all law enforcement agencies in Ventura County to prevent and combat the estimated $10 million yearly loss from organized retail theft, vehicle/vehicle parts theft and cargo theft. The task force is comprised of detectives from various agencies within Ventura County with the primary mission of combatting organized retail theft, vehicle/vehicle parts theft and cargo theft which impact our businesses, citizens, and communities here in Ventura County. The task force aims to provide a safe environment for everyone while working hand in hand with retailers, law enforcement agencies and the public to identify, locate and arrest the criminals involved in these types of crimes. Persons with information regarding organized retail theft, vehicle/vehicle parts theft or cargo theft are encouraged to call the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force’s recorded line at (805) 383-8703 or by calling the Crime Stoppers Tip Line (800) 222-TIPS (8477). You can remain anonymous when calling either number. |
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant Todd Welty | ||||||
| News Release Date: | 12/12/2024 | ||||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Sergeant Todd Welty (805) 947-8104 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Ron Chips 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