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The Santa Paula Police Department conducted another early morning probation and parole searches last Friday and several arrests were made including this suspect. The suspect was injured prior to the Santa Paula Police Department entering his house. When police entered the house the suspect attempted to destroy a meth pipe. The pipe broke in his hand and it cut his palm. The suspect was ordered to put his hands behind his head thus the blood on his head. The suspect acknowledged at the scene that he caused the injury himself and was not due to any officer actions. |
Warrant searches: SPPD-led taskforce continues crackdown on gang activity
June 16, 2010
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Police Department
In a continuing crackdown on gang activity, a Santa Paula Police-led taskforce served warrants at seven city locations early Friday resulting in four arrests for suspected gang and/or tagging crew activity. It was the second time in a week that the SPPD oversaw a large warrant sweep.
On June 11 at 7 a.m. SPPD officers, assisted by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Ventura County Probation Agency, Oxnard Police, Port Hueneme Police, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Investigations Office, served seven warrants in Santa Paula, two in Ventura and one in Fillmore. SPPD Police Chief Steve MacKinnon said police met with the task force for a 6 a.m. briefing before executing the warrants an hour later.
“Seven teams were assigned” to the seven residences searched in Santa Paula, including locations on Saticoy Street, Fillmore Street and Steckel Drive, among others. Although MacKinnon said there were no incidents and “all went smooth” with the operation, there was one injury.
“One subject arrested injured his hand seriously when he tried to destroy a glass pipe,” used for smoking narcotics, “break it with his bare hands” as police burst into the house. MacKinnon said the subject’s hand was “bleeding profusely” from the broken glass pipe, “and we bandaged it up, booked and released him to go to the hospital.”
SPPD Investigators authored the warrant operation in reaction to recent gang and graffiti tagging activity within the city. MacKinnon said taggers with All Stone Krew (ASK), were also targeted in the operation.
“They’re all over the west county” vandalizing property, and “I assume they have also gone to the east county.” And tagging crews, “from a legal standpoint,” he noted, “are considered a gang,” and enhancements for same can be sought for prosecution, bringing a stiffer sentence upon conviction. “Even with taggers we can seek gang enhancements in court if they meet the legal definition of a gang.”
Investigators seized numerous items of gang/tagging paraphernalia, graffiti device paraphernalia, one handgun, and several electronic items to be analyzed for gang/tagging evidence.
Last Tuesday morning the SPPD led a multi-agency task force that resulted in 15 arrests of men and women and the seizure of numerous firearms. The action followed the May 22 shooting incident that targeted SPPD officers and civilians they were questioning in South Alley. On June 4 an unidentified 43-year-old woman was shot on North 12th Street, a crime police believe could be related to the May 22 incident.
MacKinnon said Friday, “There will be some people doing serious time,” resulting from the two warrant operations overseen during the week by the SPPD, especially as some of those arrested have second strikes. “This,” he noted, “is fairly serious stuff.”
Such as occurred with Tuesday’s action, several of the homes targeted for Friday’s warrant searches contained children. Overall, Friday’s action “turned out well, and we’re already talking about doing more in the future “Summer months - when we’re always busy - are coming up” and, noted MacKinnon, “we just want to be visible.”
According to SPPD Sergeant Ismael Cordero, Ramon Carrillo, 21, of Santa Paula, was arrested on suspicion of obstructing and delaying a police officer and probation violation. He was booked and released.
Christian Mendez, 19, of Santa Paula, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a graffiti device and a gang-enhancement charge. Christopher de la Rosa, 22, of Ventura, was arrested on suspicion of being a felon in possession of ammunition and violation of probation.
One unidentified juvenile was charged with suspicion of possession of a graffiti device, violation of probation, and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. He was cited and released.
