Roundup: Domestic violence incidents in Santa Paula, Ojai lead to 2 arrests
Man arrested after domestic violence call, discovery of small arsenal of weapons
A 53-year-old man was arrested Friday in Santa Paula after a domestic violence incident that led officers to a small arsenal of guns and ammunition that had not been properly secured and were accessible to the man's two children, authorities said.
The Santa Paula Police Department said officers were called to the 300 block of Allen Drive around 7:35 a.m. on a report of domestic violence and later determined the man and his wife had been involved in an incident. He also told officers he was a convicted felon, making him ineligible to possess guns, police said.
Officers found a host of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, handguns, rifles and assault rifles throughout the residence. None of the firearms or ammo was secured, officers said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor and battery as well as felony dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, child endangerment and host of felony firearms offenses, jail records show.
The man appeared in Ventura County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanors and 21 felony charges, court records show. The man was also ordered not to contact the victim and four others, court records show.
He is scheduled to return to to court June 13. Meanwhile, he is being held in Ventura County jail on $50,000 bail.
Santa Paula police also urged residents who own guns to secure them in safes and put gun locks on them. The department is offering complimentary gun locks through a collaboration with Project Childsafe. The locks are available upon request in the station lobby Monday to Thursday 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Man accused of kidnapping woman to Ojai Valley area
A woman who called 911 on an open line allowed police to find her with a 53-year-old man Monday afternoon in a rural area of the Ojai Valley, authorities said.
The man was arrested and is facing charges for felony kidnapping and criminal threats along with misdemeanors for battery and destruction of a wireless communication devices, according to jail records.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office dispatch center received an emergency call around 1:35 p.m. and overheard a man threatening the woman, according to sheriff's Capt. Nick Odenath. Dispatchers were able to pinpoint the phone's coordinates to Santa Ana Road and Avenal Street, northwest of the water park at Lake Casitas.
Deputies found the couple in a car and learned the man took the victim to the area against her will, Odenath said. The man also allegedly threatened to batter, shoot and keep her from calling 911, the captain said.
The man was taken into custody and booked into Ventura County jail where he's being held on $110,000 bail. He is set to appear in Ventura County Superior Court Thursday afternoon, according to jail records.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: 2 arrested in domestic violence calls in Santa Paula, Ojai
