By El Latino Newsroom
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A death due to overdose that occurred on September 20 of last year resulted in the first time murder charges were filed against a person who knowingly sold the deadly synthetic drug fentanyl to the victim.
At that time, Oxnard Police officers and EMS personnel responded to a report of an overdose victim in the restroom of a gas station located in the 1500 block of W. Gonzales Rd., in Oxnard.
Responding officers and emergency personnel performed CPR on the victim, Dylan Rusch, but were unable to revive him. Mr. Rusch was pronounced deceased at the scene. Toxicology results from the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office show a lethal level of fentanyl was the cause of death.
The OXPD Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) conducted an extensive investigation into this incident, they processed evidence, interviewed multiple witnesses, executed several search warrants, and ultimately identified Rodney Rey Yanez as the person who sold fentanyl to Mr. Rusch.
Detectives also identified Yanez as a suspect in a series of narcotics-related offenses stemming back to January of 2023.
With the assistance of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Yanez for Second Degree Murder and several narcotics sales-related offenses.
About two weeks ago, July 24th, the Oxnard Police Department’s DEU, located Yanez in the 5500 block of Everglade St. in the City of Ventura.
He was arrested for the outstanding warrant and booked at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Pre-Trial Detention facility.
To report a crime please call the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at, 800-222-8477.
GUILTY FOR ABUSING MULTIPLE CHILDREN
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced this week that Omar Cruz-Hernandez (1985), of Oxnard, was convicted by a jury on August 2, of seven felony counts of child sexual abuse.
The convictions included felony counts of forcible rape, engaging in sexual intercourse with a child under ten, committing lewd and lascivious acts upon a child, and continuous sexual abuse of a child.
The jury also found true the allegation that Cruz-Hernandez sexually assaulted multiple victims.
Last year on June 23, detectives responded to a report of child sexual abuse, where one victim reported that she had been the victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of the defendant since she was ten years old.
Another victim later disclosed that she had been a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of the defendant since she was seven years old.
Cruz-Hernandez gained access to the victims through a familial relationship.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Kern, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Sexual Assault Unit, prosecuted the case.
“I am also thankful to the jurors in this case who listened to sensitive and difficult testimony and rendered a just verdict. While this conviction cannot undo the damage the defendant inflicted upon these innocent victims, it will go a long way in their healing process, knowing that their abuser has been held accountable for the crimes he committed against them,” Mr. Kern said.
Cruz-Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 28 at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 25 of the Ventura Superior Court.
He faces a potential sentence of 150 years and 8 months to life in prison and he remains in custody without bail.
CARBAJAL HOST TOWNHALL
Local representative Salud Carbajal hosted his ninth town hall of his current congressional term on Monday evening, engaging with constituents in Lompoc, to provided a platform for residents to voice their questions and concerns while receiving updates on recent legislative actions in Washington.
Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne introduced Rep. Carbajal, who then highlighted a series of federal investments secured for the Lompoc community through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal programs.
These investments include nearly $10 million for Lompoc’s airport through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $1.2 million for renovations at Pioneer Park, including new baseball fields, $900,000 for expanded capacity at Lompoc Health Clinic $728,000 for public safety upgrades at the Lompoc Police Department.
“I appreciate everyone who took time out of their day to come out to my town hall Monday evening,” Rep. Carbajal said.
The discussion covered a range of topics, including housing, immigration, adoption policy, the Federal Aviation Administration and launches out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, the war in Gaza, and child care affordability.
“As I shared with those who attended: Washington dysfunction may seem like it’s at an all-time high, but thanks to laws I helped create, a lot is happening behind the scenes that you may not realize is the result of recent success I have found in actually governing and getting things done. Lompoc has benefited greatly from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal funding bills, many of which have included direct funding for Lompoc that I personally fought for,” Carbajal said.
Carbajal also emphasized the tangible benefits of these investments, showcasing how they directly impact the local community.
Some of the 50 attendees to the event had the chance to ask questions for almost 45 minutes to Carbajal, who faced some harsh comments and accusations from a Pro Palestine group that went to the meeting, due to the Congressman voting in favor to give financial aid to Israel for the war against Hamas.
