Ventura County – Today, March 6th saw a good example of the response by law enforcement to even a suspicion of a firearm anywhere near an elementary school, as a flurry of Community Advisory emails were sent to residents throughout the county beginning just before noon today.
The first report while alarming, had few details other than to describe a 911 Emergency call at 11:05 a.m. describing “a man with a firearm in the area of Peach Hill Elementary School,” as stated by Ventura County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Eric Buschow, working under the direction of Media Relations Officer Capt. Don Aguilar. First responders to the campus initially investigated “the validity of the report” of a firearm on campus while a VCSD helicopter was pressed into service to support the ground search which immediately ensued.
The initial report indicated a male white suspect “seen with a black semi-auto handgun”, a description that was confirmed in a second Office of Emergency Services VC Alert phone message throughout the community just thirty minutes later. Throughout this time period, the school was placed on lockdown as an intensive search of the campus and surrounding neighborhoods was conducted with the help of two K-9 units and VCSD air units.
According to a third report broadcast to the community just four hours later, Jose Rodriguez, 28, was ultimately identified as the suspect reported as “displaying a handgun near the school”. He was located shortly thereafter and taken into custody…with no weapon in his possession. According to Buschow, Rodriguez remains in custody on charges of parole violation while further investigation into the day’s circumstances continues.
Photo: courtesy www.mrprk.org
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