May 15, 2023
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office (VCDA) has issued a cease-and-desist demand to the Ojai City Council. The cease-and-desist demand alleges the Ojai City Council violated the Brown Act. The Brown Act requires meetings of qualifying legislative bodies to be open to the public, with an opportunity for public comment. This requirement is subject to narrow exceptions specified within the Brown Act. The VCDA concluded the Ojai City Council exceeded these exceptions during closed sessions in violation of the Brown Act. Ojai City Councilmember Leslie Rule first disclosed the violations to the media and later reported them to the VCDA. Although the Brown Act allows the disclosure of closed-session information to the District Attorney, there was no applicable exception that allowed Rule to first publicly disclose the violations to the media. Accordingly, Rule’s initial disclosure of the Council’s closed-session violations to the media…
May 4, 2023
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Librado Ruiz Rojo (DOB 01/23/01), of Oxnard, pled guilty to one felony count of second-degree murder for the death of Carlos Murillo. Rojo also admitted to the special allegation that he killed Murillo with a knife. On January 26, 2020, Oxnard police officers were dispatched to a residence on Sycamore Street in Oxnard regarding a stabbing victim at a house party. Emergency medical personnel also responded, but the victim died at the scene from multiple stab wounds. Investigators later learned that Rojo and Murillo attended the same party. As Murillo’s group was leaving, Rojo challenged them to a fight. A fight ensued between the two men and Rojo stabbed Murillo multiple times. An autopsy showed Murillo was stabbed 10 times. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Homicide Unit, prosecuted the case. “The family and…
May 4, 2023
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Rodolfo Duran (DOB 07/31/95), of Santa Paula, was sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to 34 years to life in prison. Duran previously pled guilty on April 6, 2023, to sodomy of a child 10 years of age or younger and forcible sodomy of a child under 14 years of age for conduct related to two separate victims. Duran also admitted to the special allegations that the crimes involved great violence, he took advantage of a position of trust, and the victims were vulnerable. In 2018, one of the victims reported the crimes to her Santa Paula school teacher. Detectives quickly identified a second victim and established that Duran had molested them for years. While being interviewed by detectives from the Santa Paula Police Department, Duran confessed to the allegations. Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Moreno, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s…
May 3, 2023
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that on May 2, 2023, Robert Ryan McGraa (DOB 06/01/81), of Thousand Oaks, was sentenced to 15 years 4 months state prison after pleading guilty to six felony charges related to human trafficking, possession of child sexual abuse material, and luring a minor for a lewd purpose. McGraa is a previously convicted sex offender and human trafficker. In 2019, members of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation received a tip that McGraa had child sexual abuse material in his email account. After a lengthy and comprehensive investigation, investigators discovered that McGraa had numerous images of prepubescent child females being sexually assaulted by adult males. McGraa actively exchanged these types of images over the internet with other child sexual assault predators. McGraa had multiple prior felony convictions of sexual crimes against minors. In 2005, he was arrested by the Ridgecrest Police…
May 2, 2023
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Everardo Meza Alamillo (DOB 08/24/69), of Santa Paula, was convicted by a Ventura County jury of two first-degree murder counts for the 1993 murders of his estranged wife, Adriana Meza, and her boyfriend, Armando Cauich Jr. The jury also found true the special allegations that Alamillo personally used a firearm and committed multiple murders. On October 13, 1993, Alamillo went to visit his daughter at Ms. Meza’s home in Santa Paula. Ms. Meza allowed the visit because she wanted Alamillo to be a part of their daughter’s life. Alamillo left and returned later that evening, parked his vehicle nearby, and waited with a loaded .22-caliber rifle. Alamillo eventually entered the home through a back door and walked into Ms. Meza’s bedroom. Alamillo shot her three times and Mr. Cauich Jr. twice while they lay in bed. Alamillo’s 2-year-old daughter was asleep between the…
April 27, 2023
On April 26, 2023, Alex Alvarado (DOB 06/11/91), of Simi Valley, pled guilty to one felony count of selling fentanyl, in violation of Health and Safety Code 11352(a). Alvarado also admitted to the special allegations that he served a prior term in prison or county jail, and that he was on probation or parole when the crime was committed. In September 2022, Simi Valley Police Department narcotics detectives received information that Alvarado was selling fentanyl. After a thorough investigation, Alvarado was arrested for multiple sales of fentanyl. Detectives executed a search warrant at Alvarado’s residence, locating both fentanyl and methamphetamine. Fentanyl is a highly addictive and often deadly synthetic drug. It is estimated to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is one of the most common drugs associated with overdose deaths in the United States. In 2022, the Ventura County Medical Examiner reported 278 overdose deaths.…
April 26, 2023
On April 21, 2023, Leslie Vargas (DOB 08/03/01), of Oxnard, pled guilty to one count of insurance fraud.
April 24, 2023
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will host a ceremony at Simi Valley City Hall commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) on April 27, 2023. This will be the first time the annual event will be held in the east county. The event takes place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will include speakers and a march to raise awareness about crime victims. Simi Valley is the third largest city in Ventura County and is home to Safe Harbor East, a county-owned facility that assists victims of sexual violence and human trafficking in a residential, homelike setting. The facility offers sexual assault nurse exams, forensic interviews, and one-on-one counseling. The theme for NCVRW 2023 is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” This year’s ceremony will focus on human trafficking and include remarks from Alia Dewees, a dedicated advocate and trafficking survivor working to end human trafficking and empower…
April 21, 2023
On April 20, 2023, Arayveion Edwards (DOB 05/13/97), from Florida, pled not guilty at arraignment in the Ventura County Superior Court. Edwards is charged with six felony counts, including human trafficking, pimping and possession of an unregistered loaded firearm and high-capacity magazines. On April 18, 2023, officers with the Ventura Police Department contacted Edwards regarding an alleged stolen vehicle. During that contact, a female with Edwards pleaded with officers for help. Edwards is accused of bringing the victim from Florida to California and forcing the victim to engage in commercial sex work by using violence and psychological coercion. He is also charged with being in possession of a loaded unregistered firearm and high-capacity magazines at the time of his arrest. Deputy District Attorney Rikole Kelly, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Unit, is the prosecutor handling the case. An early disposition conference…
Settlement Reached in Illegal Disposal of Toxic Substance into Ventura Harbor
On April 21, 2023, the Ventura County District Attorney and Silver Bay Seafoods entered a stipulated Final Judgment resolving a civil prosecution relating to the company’s 2021 and 2022 releases of stick water. Stick water is squid ink wastewater which is lethal to fish and marine life due to its high concentration of ammonia. Under the terms of the settlement, Silver Bay Seafoods agreed to pay $36,815, which included $12,500 in penalties to the Ventura County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund, $12,500 in penalties to the CDFW Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and $5,000 in civil penalties and $6,815 in investigative costs to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.