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).
Media Release: Robbery Suspects Arrested
| Nature of Incident: | Robbery Suspects Arrested | |||||
| Report Number: | 26-51920 | |||||
| Location: | 1400 block of East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, City of Thousand Oaks & 300 block of Esplanade Drive, City of Oxnard. |
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| Date & Time: | 4/23/2026 @ 1507 hours | |||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Ventura County Sheriff’s East County Major Crimes Unit, ATF, FBI, Burbank Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Constable, Texas DPS, Houston Police Department, Pearland Police Department, Oxnard Police Department, Ventura County Crime Analysis Unit | |||||
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | ||||
| (A) Cedarien Cooksey (A) Tavione Simmons (V) Adult female (V) Adult male |
Spring, TX Houston, TX Thousand Oaks Oxnard |
31 25 52 25 |
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| Narrative: | ||||||
| Detectives with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office East County Major Crime Unit, in collaboration with multiple California, Texas, and federal law enforcement agencies, identified and arrested two suspects connected to a robbery in Thousand Oaks and a grand theft from a vehicle in Oxnard. On April 23, 2026, at approximately 3:07 p.m., Thousand Oaks Patrol Deputies and Detectives responded to a reported robbery in the 1400 block of East Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Upon arrival, deputies contacted a 52-year-old female victim who reported that several thousand dollars in cash had been forcibly stolen from her after she just withdrew it from a local bank. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and was able to provide investigators with suspect information. Earlier that same day, at approximately 1:00 p.m., a 25-year-old male reported to the Oxnard Police Department that several thousand dollars had been stolen from his unlocked vehicle while he was in the city of Oxnard, after he had just withdrawn the cash from a local bank. Through the investigation, detectives identified the suspects as Cedarien Cooksey and Tavione Simmons, both residents of the Houston, Texas area. Investigators determined both individuals have extensive criminal histories related to organized criminal activity and “bank jugging” offenses. Detectives also learned of an increasing trend involving suspects traveling from Texas, primarily the Houston area, to commit bank jugging crimes in other states before returning to Texas. Arrest warrants were subsequently issued for Cooksey and Simmons for their involvement in the Ventura County crimes. Each suspect was charged with one count of robbery, in violation of California Penal Code Section 211, and one count of grand theft exceeding $950, in violation of California Penal Code Section 487(a). Working in coordination with Houston-area law enforcement agencies, investigators successfully located and arrested both suspects. Simmons was arrested on May 15, 2026, and Cooksey was arrested on May 20, 2026, on local charges as well as the Ventura County warrants. Both suspects are currently awaiting extradition to California. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has recently observed an increase in “bank jugging” crimes throughout the region. These crimes typically involve suspects monitoring bank and ATM customers who appear to be carrying cash withdrawals. Suspects then follow victims to another location and either force entry into locked vehicles or target unlocked vehicles to steal the cash. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reminds community members to remain vigilant when withdrawing cash from banks or ATMs. Individuals are encouraged to avoid displaying cash envelopes or bank bags in public view, secure valuables discreetly, remain alert to suspicious vehicles or individuals, and always lock their vehicles. Anyone observing suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center at (805) 654-9511. |
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| Prepared by: | Detective Cody Pietro | |||||
| News Release Date: | 6/2/2026 | |||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Cody Pietro Phone number: (805) 494-8224 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: |
Captain Albert Ramirez |
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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