Central Coast roundup

By El Latino Newsroom
[email protected]

Cox Communications held an event this week to announced the investment of more than $60 million over the next three years to deliver multi-Gigabit service in the Santa Barbara South Coast community. 

President Mark Greatex joined California leaders, Ingo Hentschel and Kirsten McLaughlin at Cox’s Smart Stories Smart Home event in Santa Barbara to share the news with business and community leaders. 

“Our team in Santa Barbara was honored to host this Smart Stories immersive kick-off event which represents the next generation in Smart Home living for our customers,” said Kirsten McLaughlin, market vice president for Cox Communications in Santa Barbara. 

“This event showcased technology, powered by our network, that our residential customers in all stages of life can use to connect and thrive,” she added.  

Cox indicated the investment is part of a multibillion-dollar annual infrastructure investment by Cox across the country over the next several years to build a 10-Gigabit capable, fiber-based network that will power the next generation of internet users. 

Breakthrough enhancements to cable’s broadband DOCSIS 4.0 technology combined with expanded fiber to the premise will enable Cox to deliver multi-Gigabit symmetrical speeds in the coming years to both residential and business customers to support a growing host of high bandwidth applications. 

Cox has invested more than $60 million over the last 5 years in Santa Barbara and surrounding communities and was the first to make Gigabit service available to all customers in the market.

In the last 10 years, Cox has invested more than $19 billion in network and product upgrades across the country to deliver some of the most powerful high-speed internet, TV, phone, and home security and automation services, as well as a growing suite of business offerings such as its cloud and edge services. Those strategic investments paid off significantly as Cox’s network continued to meet its customers’ needs despite the unprecedented surges in internet traffic seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

INJURED IN LARGE SOCCER FIGHT

The Oxnard Police Department (OXPD) informed that a person was severely injured in a large field on a local soccer field in Oxnard High School, at 3400 West Gonzales Road, last Sunday.

When officers arrived, they located the victim, 29-year old Misael Sanchez. Sanchez was unresponsive and not breathing. 

Then paramedics transported Sanchez by ambulance to the Ventura County Medical Center, where the victim is currently listed in critical condition. 

Officers spoke to witnesses and learned the fight was between two adult soccer teams. 

The fight occurred when the two teams disagreed with a referee’s decision. 

Sanchez was on the field playing soccer for one of the two teams when the fight broke out. 

During the fight, Sanchez was assaulted by multiple assailants. 

Witnesses identified one of the assailants as 46-year old Berlin Jose Melgara. Melgara attempted to leave but was detained and arrested for assaulting Sanchez. 

The investigation is ongoing and investigators are trying to locate additional witnesses and video of the incident. The OXPD ask anyone with any information, to contact Detective Carey Everhart at 805-486-6228 or [email protected].

If someone video recorded the incident or have photographs of the incident, please upload it to the following link: www.oxnardpd.evidence.com/axon/citizen/public/1800arcadia

JAIL ESCAPEE ARRESTED

An inmate has been returned to custody after a brief escape that ended with a K9 apprehension. On Tuesday, July 6, at approximately 6:50 p.m., 26-year-old Nicholas Erickson of Santa Barbara escaped from the Santa Barbara County Main Jail. 

Erickson had originally been booked on Saturday, June 18, by the Santa Barbara Police Department for charges including burglary (felony), vandalism (felony), vehicle theft (felony), loitering (misdemeanor), obstruction (misdemeanor), grand theft (felony), and committing a crime while released on bail (felony) as well as several outstanding warrants for theft and elder abuse charges. 

The day of the incident, custody deputies immediately locked down the Main Jail and notified patrol of the escape. 

Sheriff’s deputies, including two K9 teams, responded to the area and began searching within minutes. 

Deputies set up a perimeter area and requested a response from County Air Support to assist with the search. 

While they were searching, a resident in the 4600-block of Sierra Madre reported seeing a suspicious subject in the area. 

Sheriff’s Deputy Phillip Farley and his K9 Odin encountered Erickson who feigned surrender and failed to comply with verbal commands before attempting to flee towards Oak Glen Drive. Deputy Farley deployed K9 Odin who tumbled down a hill and fell from an 8–10-foot drop onto a sidewalk before apprehending Erickson in the 4500-block of Oak Glen Drive. 

Erickson was re-arrested at 8:20 p.m. and received medical attention for minor injuries sustained during his escape attempt as well as the K9 apprehension. 

Erickson was re-booked at the Main Jail with additional charges of escape (felony), obstruction (misdemeanor), and harming a police dog (misdemeanor). He is being held on $200,000 bail. 

GHOST GUN

On July 5^th, deputies assigned to the Camarillo Police Station along with detectives from the Gun Violence Reduction Program and Camarillo Special Enforcement concluded an investigation into Jason Armistead for unlawful firearm activities.  

That day deputies from the Camarillo Police Station responded to a call for service regarding a suspect who brandished a firearm at a victim during a road rage incident. 

The victim was able to provide the information to the Sheriff’s as the suspect drove through Camarillo. 

Deputies located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on the suspect, identified as Armistead. 

During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a loaded unregistered handgun concealed within the vehicle. 

Detectives petitioned for a Gun Violence Restraining Order against Armistead, which was granted by the Ventura County Superior Court. 

Detectives then executed a search warrant at Armistead’s residence, located in the 200 block of Rossmore Drive in Ventura County. 

As a result of the warrant, detectives located and seized multiple unregistered firearms and hundreds of rounds of live ammunition, one of the firearms located contained characteristics that classified it under California law as an assault weapon.  

Armistead was arrested and booked for various firearm offenses, including Brandishing a Firearm, Carry a Concealed Firearm Upon Person, Carry a Loaded Firearm in Vehicle and Possession of an Assault Weapon.  

Armistead is currently out of custody in lieu of $60,000.00 bail. 

ARRESTED FOR BRANDISHING GUN IN THE FREEWAY 

In late June and early July, Headquarters Patrol, the Headquarter Investigations Unit, and the Sheriff’s Gang Unit conducted an investigation into a brandishing with a firearm incident, which occurred at a liquor store in El Rio. 

The subsequent investigation led to multiple arrests and recovery of a “ghost gun” in Santa Paula.    

On June 24, at approximately 9:25 p.m., headquarters Patrol personnel responded to a liquor store in the 2900 block of E. Vineyard Avenue in the unincorporated area of Oxnard known as El Rio for disturbances involving a male subject armed with a handgun. 

Patrol deputies subsequently conducted a traffic stop and identified (S) Michael Dryer as being involved in the liquor store disturbances. 

Michael Dryer was arrested for brandishing, prohibited person in possession of ammunition, possession of graffiti tools, and driving with a suspended license. 

However, the handgun was not located during the traffic stop.

Headquarters Investigations and SGU detectives continued the investigation and identified other involved parties as (S) Allen Dryer, (S) David Velazquez, and (S) Diana Marquez.  

On June 29, detectives conducted a parole search of Allen Dryer and served a signed search warrant at Velazquez’s residence in Santa Paula. 

Detectives recovered a 9mm semi-automatic “ghost gun” and additional evidence, which indicated the recovered firearm was used in the liquor store brandishing and it had been transferred unlawfully. 

Detectives arrested Allen Dryer and Velazquez for conspiracy and various firearm violations.  

On July 1, SGU detectives arrested Marquez in Santa Paula for accessory after the fact.       

All subjects were booked into the Ventura County Jail.