Upper left: Parole and Probation personnel were an important piece of the compliance checks meant to make sure gang members and associates are living up to the strict terms of their release. Arrests last week ranged from possession of a weapon to possession of gang attire. Upper Right: Five officers from various county, state and law enforcement agencies were part of the cadre that conducted compliance checks on gang members and associates Thursdayww in Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ventura and the El Rio area of Oxnard. Bottom Left: The FBI, SWAT and K9s were involved in Thursday’s compliance checks, an action that included federal Homeland Security, ICE and the DEA as well as law enforcement personnel from area sheriff and police agencies, the District Attorney’s Office and CA State Probation. Bottom Right: The FBI and police are shown approaching a residence targeted in last week’s compliance checks of known gang members and associates that occurred at 39 residences throughout western Ventura County and resulted in 11 arrests. Photos by Brian Stethem

SPPD: Gang members targeted, 11 arrested by cadre of law enforcement

April 22, 2015
Santa Paula News

Dozens of houses were visited by a cadre of law enforcement personnel and 11 people arrested after a two-day series of probation-parole compliance checks specifically aimed at Santa Paula gang members and gang associates.

Police Chief Steve McLean said more than 130 law enforcement officers from various local, state and federal agencies assisted in the warrant searches that took place in Santa Paula and Fillmore Thursday and in Ventura and El Rio-Oxnard Friday.

In all, warrants were served on 39 locations during the action that McLean said had been planned for weeks.

Of those contacted one was a Santa Paula juvenile who was cited and released to a school officer. 

All were arrested without incident, except for one Santa Paula gang member living in El Rio and considered armed and dangerous; he was found with a weapon among violations of his release terms.

McLean said that “Every police agency in Ventura County participated in the action,” as well as law enforcement personnel with state and federal agencies.

Thursday’s action started at 7 a.m. and all were arrested “Without incident, no problem,” and those arrested were found to be in violation of various probation and parole terms including those that apply only to gang members and associates.

McLean noted that those taken into custody were in possession of paraphernalia associated with the use of illegal narcotics, possession of ammunition and being under the influence of a controlled substance or alcohol.

One man was the subject of an arrest warrant and was taken into custody on a domestic violence charge.

“The purpose of this action was to take one step to eradicate gangs from this city,” whether members or gang associates. 

“Initially, we had over 40 locations,” within the city to be visited but McLean said several of those that were to be subjected to a compliance check had been arrested over the previous weekend.

All the law enforcement knocks on the doors for those subject to the compliance checks were simultaneous: “We want to coordinate these things for the obvious reasons…with social media the whole world can find out about it in several minutes.”

McLean noted that Friday’s operation was probably one of the largest ever undertaken in the city and one that carried a message: “We’re tired of your BS and we’re not going to tolerate it. If we have to use all our resources to put you away from the community we’re going to do it. We’re doing our best to keep the community safe.”

Although the record spate of murders that plagued the city — nine in less than 18 months throughout 2013 and 2014, more than the entire amount committed from 2003 to 2012 — has ebbed, there has been a rising number of shots fired calls. Of the nine murders that occurred in 2013-2014 five were the result of gang violence, including a woman killed by a stray bullet. Of the remaining four murders, three were committed by gang members or gang associates but were not directly tied to gang activity.

Thursday’s warrant searches involved the Santa Paula Police, Ventura County Sheriff’s, Ventura Police, Oxnard Police, Port Hueneme Police, Simi Valley Police, Ventura County District Attorney Investigations, Ventura County Probation, CA. State Parole, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Secret Service (SS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Arrested Thursday were: Matthew Duenas, 27, for a domestic battery warrant; Hugo Lopez, 50, felon suspected to be in possession of ammunition and paraphernalia and outstanding warrants; Ricardo Resendez, 40, suspicion of violation of alcohol probation terms; Carlos Felipe Ek, 25, suspected violation of parole; Jesus Jose Maciel, 36, suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of paraphernalia; Joe Rivas 35, suspected violation of PROS (Post Release Offender Status) terms; Christopher Garcia, 30, suspected possession of unlawful paraphernalia; Anthony Vasquez, 41, possession of unlawful paraphernalia and the 17-year-old juvenile for suspected violation of probation. 

Friday the agencies teamed up again to check compliance at five residences in Ventura and El Rio-Oxnard where two suspects were arrested.

A 17-year-old juvenile member of a Santa Paula gang was arrested at his residence in Ventura for a violation of his terms and conditions of his probation, suspected possession of gang attire. 

Santa Paula gang member Austin Coulter, 23, was arrested at his residence in El Rio-Oxnard; he had two outstanding felony warrants and was considered armed and dangerous as well new charges of felon suspected to be in possession of a firearm (shotgun), felon in possession of ammunition (shotgun ammunition and .45 caliber ammunition) and possession of controlled substance and paraphernalia.  

According to SPPD Commander Ish Cordero, “Due to the nature of the warrants for Coulter, his residence was surrounded by police and after multiple announcements into the residence, Coulter exited and was taken into custody without incident.”

Coulter was transported to Ventura County Jail and the juvenile also taken into custody Friday was transported to Juvenile Hall where they were respectively booked. All those arrested Thursday were booked at the Santa Paula Police Department before they were transported to Ventura County Jail.





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