SPPD offers $5K reward for homicide suspects

By Peggy Kelly 

Santa Paula Times 

There is a $5,000 reward out for any one of the four persons suspected by police of being involved in three separate homicides.

“It’s first come, first served,” said Santa Paula Police Lt. Ishmael Cordero of the reward. “Plus,” he noted, “whoever reports the whereabouts of a suspect first and that person is convicted will also be eligible for the $1,000 reward from Crime Stoppers ... that’s $6,000 total.” 

Although the city is only able to offer the $5,000 reward once, Cordero said Crime Stoppers will pay $1,000 for reports that lead to the arrest and a criminal complaint filed against each of those listed on the poster.

Released by the SPPD Tuesday, the poster shows: Omar Ruiz, 26, of Santa Paula, wanted in connection with the May 27 homicide of Ulyses Virto; Jesse Moten 19, of Santa Paula, wanted in connection to the June 28 homicide of Joseph Arellano; and Andres Rene Rodriguez, 28, of Oxnard, and Melissa Salazar, 35, of Santa Paula, also known to reside in Oxnard and Ventura, for the July 7 homicide of Angela Bryant. 

The men are all members of different criminal street gangs: Ruiz belongs to the Crazy Boyz, Moten belongs to the Crimies, and Rodriguez belongs to the Colonia Chiques (and has the gang’s CoC symbol tattooed on his head). Salazar is reportedly Rodriguez’s girlfriend. 

Cordero said although the usual policy of the SPPD is to downplay gang affiliations and nicknames to avoid what gang members see as positive publicity, “We want people to know these people are gang members, they are not choir boys being accused of murder without reason.”