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).
Juvenile Arrested for Sierra High School Arson
| Nature of Incident: | Juvenile Arrested for Sierra High School Arson | ||||
| Report Number: | 26-86208 | ||||
| Location: | Sierra High School, 615 Shiells Drive, Fillmore | ||||
| Date & Time: | July 4th, 2026, 11:42 PM | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Fillmore Detective Unit, Fillmore School Resource Deputies, Fillmore Patrol, Fillmore Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department |
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent | City of Residence | Age | |||
| (V) Fillmore Unified School District (S) Juvenile Male |
Fillmore |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| On 07/22/2026, a juvenile male was contacted and arrested for his involvement with the Fillmore High School construction fire. On 07/04/2026, at about 11:42 PM, deputies from the Fillmore Station responded to a mutual aid request with the Fillmore Fire Department at Sierra High School reference a fire to construction material. Upon arrival, deputies located construction material for the new Fillmore High School gymnasium fully engulfed in flames. The damage caused by the fire was well over $100,000.00. Over the next week, the Fillmore Detective Unit worked with Fillmore School Resource Deputies and patrol personnel to identify a suspect who was determined to be a juvenile male from Fillmore. During the investigation, surveillance video captured the suspect igniting what is believed to be a dangerous firework just prior to fleeing the area on foot. The firework exploded in the immediate area of construction equipment and caught it on fire. On 07/22/2026, during the afternoon hours, the juvenile was contacted and arrested for violations of Penal Code § 451(d) – [Willful & Malicious Burning of Property] and Health & Safety Code § 12677 – [Possession of Dangerous Fireworks]. He was cited and released to his parent/guardian. This same juvenile was previously arrested in August 2024 along with three other juveniles for their involvement with arson at the Fillmore Historical Museum. On 07/23/2026, the Fillmore Detective Unit executed a search warrant at the juvenile’s residence located in the 200 block of Santa Clara Avenue. During the warrant service, detectives located additional evidence linking the juvenile to the construction equipment arson, including illegal fireworks. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships. Join us in the fight on crime by following us on “X” @fillmoresheriff, Facebook, Instagram @VCSHERIFF and @FILLMOREPD, and with Nixle by texting your zip code to 888777 to receive local law enforcement and public safety alerts and advisories. |
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| Prepared by: | Sergeant Jarrod Foote | ||||
| News Release Date: | 07/23/2026 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Axel Morales [email protected] 805-477-7011 Detective Dustin Heersche [email protected] 805-477-7012 |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Eduardo Malagon YES NO |
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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).
Address/Location
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
800 S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 805-654-9511