Oxnard Man Charged with Murder for Fatal Fentanyl Overdose
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Rodney Rey Yanez (DOB 03/11/69), of Oxnard, has been charged with the second-degree murder of Dylan Rusch. This marks the first time the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has filed murder charges against a defendant who knowingly sold the deadly synthetic drug, fentanyl, to a victim who overdosed and died. Yanez is also charged with an additional nine felonies and four misdemeanors related to his alleged drug possession and sale activity. “The filing of murder charges in a fentanyl overdose case underscores the grave responsibility we have to protect our community from the devastating impact of this deadly drug,” said District Attorney Nasarenko. “We are committed to seeking justice for victims and holding accountable those who provide this poison.” Yanez made his first court appearance today and his arraignment was continued to August 21, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 11 of the Ventura…
Oxnard Man Pleads Guilty to Reckless Evading and Insurance Fraud
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced today that on September 25, 2023, Diego Galvan (DOB 09/09/86), of Oxnard, pled guilty to one count of reckless driving while evading a peace officer and one count of insurance fraud. Both are felonies.
District Attorney’s Office Receives $640,000 Grant to Enhance Carmen Ramirez Family Justice Center in Oxnard
The $640,000 grant will fund bilingual Spanish-speaking victim advocates, a legal processing assistant, administrative assistant, and necessary equipment at the new 545-555 South A Street location from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2025. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved acceptance of the grant today.
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.
Wildlife Trafficking Crew Charged and Pled Guilty to Poaching Crimes
An in-depth investigation by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife identified a large poaching and wildlife trafficking organization referred to as the “E-Bike crew.” The “E Bike crew” conspired with one another and Lizette’s Market to fraudulently reprint hunting licenses and tags for the purpose of unlawfully poaching wildlife. All seven defendants pled guilty to two or more felonies ranging between 180 and 220 days in jail, as well as a two-year probationary period.
AT&T Agrees to Nearly $6 Million Statewide Environmental Settlement
The Ventura County District Attorney and the Santa Cruz County District Attorney were lead counsel in a civil prosecution of AT&T which led to a $5.9 million settlement for environmental violations. AT&T failed to report the location of numerous hazardous materials (batteries) with the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) at more than 3,000 sites across the state of California. AT&T self-reported the apparent oversight and cooperated with the statewide investigation. Ventura and Santa Cruz Counties each received more than $700,000 as a result of this settlement and the 56 other California counties and impacted regulatory agencies split the remainder of the $5.9 million.
Friday, June 3, 2022
VENTURA, California – District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that a jury convicted Elide Soto (DOB 06/13/93), of Oxnard, of abusing an infant child.
June 3, 2022
VENTURA, California – District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Cornell Williams (DOB 02/13/99), of Los Angeles, and Emonnie Walden (DOB 08/08/03), of Los Angeles, have pled guilty for their roles in a series of organized retail thefts from ULTA Beauty.
Carwash Company Settles Case for Unlawful Hazardous Waste Disposal
On March 11, 2019, Simi Valley-based Simi Auto Spa & Speed Wash illegally disposed of hazardous waste into an on-site storm drain that directly connects to the Arroyo Simi waterway which turned the waterway bright green. The hazardous waste, auto detailing wax, contained the chemical sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, which is acutely toxic to aquatic life. In a stipulated Final Judgment, Sam’s KH Corp. agreed to pay $65,000 in civil penalties, $37,405 in cost reimbursement to multiple responding state and county agencies, and an injunction prohibiting the business from unlawfully disposing of chemicals into the waterway.
Santa Paula Company Settles Illegal Pesticide Sales Case for $625,000
A multi-agency investigation revealed that Fruit Growers Supply sold restricted pesticides to non-permitted users numerous times in 2019 and 2020. These pesticides included Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) which have been identified in more than 90 percent of tested deceased mountain lions, 88 percent of tested deceased bobcats, 85 percent of tested deceased protected Pacific fishers, and 70 percent of tested deceased northern spotted owls. In a stipulated Final Judgment, Fruit Growers Supply agreed to pay $625,000 in civil penalties, restitution, and supplemental environmental projects.