Three stabbed, five arrested after melee in Santa Paula Street home

April 23, 2008
Santa Paula Police Department

Santa Paula Police detained more than a dozen people and arrested five subjects - including two teenagers - Sunday night after a melee inside a residence that left three people injured, according to a SPPD spokesman.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesSanta Paula Police detained more than a dozen people and arrested five subjects - including two teenagers - Sunday night after a melee inside a residence that left three people injured, according to a SPPD spokesman. Senior Officer Ryan Smith said that SPPD officers responded April 20 at about 10:35 p.m. to a report of a disturbance at a residence in the 900 block of East Santa Paula Street.“Upon arrival, officers observed and heard a physical confrontation between several male subjects at the residence,” but as officers attempted to make contact and stop the fight, “several of the subjects forced the door closed on the officers, locking them outside.” One of the male subjects “inside the residence was observed choking another male subject,” and officers forced entry into the residence and detained 14 people, including three who had received injuries from the altercation.Santa Paula Fire Department EMTs and American Medical Response paramedics responded to the scene, as did Ventura Police Department personnel called to assist.Smith said that, during the course of the investigation, two city residents, Nahum Urbina, 18, and Marco Espinoza, 20, were “found to have been stabbed by Luis Rodriguez,” a 27-year-old Santa Paula resident. “During the fight, Rodriguez sustained injuries that required him to be transported to Santa Paula Memorial Hospital,” but Smith said that Espinoza and Urbina declined treatment by paramedics.
Espinoza and Urbina were transported by SPPD officers to Santa Paula Hospital for a medical evaluation, and then arrested and charged with resisting a peace officer with force or violence. Rodriguez was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon - he is believed to have stabbed the other two victims during the brawl - and resisting a police officer with force or violence. Smith said that all three subjects were “lodged at Ventura County Jail pending a court appearance.”Two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were arrested at the scene for respectively resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer and violating the terms and conditions of probation. Due to their juvenile status, their names will not be released.Cordero said that officers responded to an initial call of a potential domestic violence report, and upon arrival “observed there had been a physical altercation... several people were bleeding.” But “Their aggressiveness turned towards the officers,” and Cordero said that officers recognized one “individual at the location,” a second unit on the property, “who in the past has been physical with an officer” and attempted to take weapons and a Taser from the officer.Noting that the individuals inside the home were “very uncooperative,” and recognizing that they were “dealing with the same individual as in the past, officers had to be more alert regarding officer safety,” and backed out of the front area of the residence to await additional units before they detained the subjects and made the arrests.Cordero said that arrests resulting from Sunday’s stabbings as well as a stabbing incident and arrest that occurred Friday evening have something in common. “With these two incidents, investigations were conducted immediately with the help of witnesses and citizens that enabled us to make arrests in an expeditious manner. Our Detective Unit has been pretty busy lately; these investigations take time, but with the help of witnesses and citizens we were able to wrap up real quick and move on to another investigation.”



Site Search

E-Subscribe

Subscribe

E-SUBSCRIBE
Call 805 525 1890 to receive the entire paper early. $50.00 for one year.

webmaster