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).
Mail Theft / Identity Theft Suspect Arrested
| Nature of Incident: | Mail Theft / Identity Theft Suspect Arrested | ||||
| Report Number: | 26-118690, 26-109802, 26-69967, 26-130509 | ||||
| Location: | City of Thousand Oaks | ||||
| Date & Time: | 10/04/2026 | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | East County Investigations Bureau – Property Crimes Unit East County Investigations Bureau – Financial Crimes Unit Thousand Oaks Patrol Services California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation |
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| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
| (S) Sellner, Rusty | Newbury Park | 34 |
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| Narrative: | |||||
| During the months of July, August, and September 2026, Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the City of Thousand Oaks responded to more than 15 calls for service involving mail theft. These crimes primarily occurred during the early morning hours. Multiple reports were taken and the cases were assigned to detectives in the East County Investigations Bureau – Property Crimes Unit. During the course of the investigation, detectives utilized multiple investigative resources including automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology. The use of the ALPR database by investigators led to the discovery of a specific vehicle that was driven by the suspect during the commission of the crimes. Investigators subsequently identified Rusty Sellner as the primary suspect. Sellner is currently on Parole for burglary and is listed in Ventura County as a Serious Habitual Offender. Sellner had previously been arrested in connection with a similar series of theft-related crimes committed earlier in 2026 in the City of Thousand Oaks. On September 10th, 2026, East County Property Crimes Detectives and Sellner’s Parole Agent conducted a parole search at Sellner’s residence. During the search, detectives located multiple credit and debit cards, blank checks in the victims’ names, and stolen mail associated to the victims of the crimes being investigated. On October 4th, 2026, Ventura County Sheriff’s Dispatch received an ALPR notification indicating a vehicle associated with Sellner was traveling the area of his known residence. Patrol deputies responded to Sellner’s residence, where they located Sellner inside the vehicle. Sellner was taken into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation and an outstanding Parole want. Sellner was subsequently booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility for multiple charges, including PC 470(d) – Check Forgery, PC 487(a) – Grand Theft, PC 530.5(a) – Identity Theft, PC 459 – Burglary, PC 666.1(a)(1) – Theft with Prior Convictions, PC 530.5(e) – Mail Theft, PC 530.5(c)(2) – Identity Theft with Prior Convictions, PC 530.5(c)(3) – Possession of Identity of Ten or More Persons, PC 496(a) – Possession of Stolen Property, HS 11364(a) – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, HS 11395(b)(1) – Possession of a Hard Drug, and PC 3056 – Parole Hold. Sellner is currently in custody, and his bail is set at $200,000. Sellner may be responsible for additional reported and unreported thefts in various jurisdictions within Ventura County and surrounding counties. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed as detectives continue to investigate related incidents. The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to remind citizens to be aware of their surroundings. Report suspicious people or vehicles unfamiliar to your area by promptly calling 911, or our non-emergency line (805) 654-9511. If you see something, say something. Join us to stay alerted by following us on Twitter @ThousandOaksPD, Facebook @Thousand Oaks Police Department, Instagram @ThousandOaksPD, 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: | Detective Pasha Sabet | ||||
| News Release Date: | 10/07/2026 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Pasha Sabet (805) 494-8226 [email protected] |
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| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Albert Ramirez 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