A 22-year-old Santa Paula man was arrested Sunday in Oxnard on weapons violations and warrants when officers from a special enforcement unit were conducting a gang sweep in the area.
According to Oxnard Senior Officer Jon Wilkie the January 10 incident occurred about 6 p.m. when officers from the Special Enforcement Unit were conducting gang enforcement in the south end of the city “due to several recent gang related shootings in the area.”
Special Enforcement Unit Officers conducted a pedestrian stop on Julian Nunez of Santa Paula at Samuel Avenue and Yucca Street.
“Nunez,” noted Wilkie in a statement, “is associated with an active criminal street gang and a Post Release Offender.”
Nunez was found to have a loaded handgun in his possession and was arrested for weapons violations and warrants.
According to Wilkie, Nunez is currently in the Post Release Offender Program, created by Assembly Bill 109 — the 2011 Public Safety Realignment — that became effective October 1, 2011.
“This program mandates that individuals sentenced to non-violent, non-serious or non-sex offenses will serve their sentences in county jails instead of state prison,” but, noted Wilkie, “The public should be aware that release under AB 109 is based on the offender’s most recent commitment offense, prior convictions are not considered.”
That aspect of the law has been proven to be the most troubling to law enforcement as well as to communities as violent offenders can be released as long as the last conviction was for an offense that does not meet the benchmark of being a violent crime.
