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).
Vandals Arrested
| Nature of Incident: | Vandals Arrested | ||||
| Report Number: | 26-95155 | ||||
| Location: | Mupu Elementary School 4400 block of N. Ojai Road, unincorporated Santa Paula |
||||
| Date & Time: | 10/15/2026 @ 4:00 PM | ||||
| Unit(s) Responsible: | Fillmore Patrol, Fillmore Detective Unit, West County Special Enforcement Unit |
||||
| (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent |
City of Residence |
Age | |||
| (V) Mupu Elementary School (S) Richard Apodaca (S) Eric Steinberg |
Unincorporated Santa Paula Unincorporated Ventura Unincorporated Ventura |
55 54 |
|||
| Narrative: | |||||
| On 10/15/2026, (S) Richard Apodaca and Eric Steinberg were arrested for grand theft, vandalism, and conspiracies to commit those crimes following an investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Fillmore Detective Unit. During late July 2026, patrol deputies from the Sheriff’s Fillmore Station responded to the Mupu Elementary School located in the 4400 block of N. Ojai Road in unincorporated area north of Santa Paula regarding a reported vandalism and grand theft investigation. During the initial investigation, staff identified former custodians (S) Richard Apodaca and (S) Eric Steinberg as the suspected individuals involved. The investigation revealed the theft of school property and vandalism that resulted in damages estimated to be in thousands of dollars. The Fillmore Detective Unit subsequently assumed the investigation and conducted additional investigative follow-up. As a result of their efforts, detectives obtained a search warrant for Apodaca, Steinberg, and their residence located in the 200 block of Los Cabos Lane, unincorporated Ventura. On 10/15/2026, at about 4:00 PM, personnel from the Fillmore Detective Unit and West County Special Enforcement Unit served the search warrant at Apodaca’s and Steinberg’s residence which resulted in the seizure of evidence related to the crimes under investigation. Following the investigation and search warrant service, Apodaca and Steinberg were arrested for violations of Penal Code § 487(a) – [Grand Theft], Penal Code § 594(b)(1) – [Felony Vandalism], and Penal Code § 182(a)(1) – [Conspiracy to Commit a Crime]. They were both transported to the Sheriff’s Pre-Trial Detention Facility where they were booked pending court proceedings. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to responding to public concerns in a manner that builds confidence in our agency and strengthens relationships to empower businesses and residents to be the eyes and ears of the community. 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. |
|||||
| Prepared by: | Sergeant Jarrod Foote | ||||
| News Release Date: | 10/16/2026 | ||||
| Media Follow-Up Contact: | Detective Axel Morales [email protected] 805-477-7011 Detective Dustin Heersche [email protected] 805-477-7012 |
||||
| Approved by: Booking Photo Release: |
Captain Eduardo Malagon YES NO |
||||
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