Ventura County – The usually tranquil environs of Camarillo, just south of the City of Ventura, was the scene of a serious altercation that led to the forceful restraint, unwilling transport, and violent beating of James Loft, a 22 year-old Camarillo resident of that community in the early evening of May 12th.
According to Ventura County Sheriff spokesman Sgt. John Gleason, it was on that date that Loft was “physically attacked and forced out of his girlfriend’s residence by two suspects.” Once outside the house, Lofton was taken by force and compelled to enter a vehicle driven by yet a third suspect.
The vehicle allegedly drove off with its four passengers and arrived shortly thereafter at a secluded parking lot where Loft was summarily ejected onto the pavement where he was physically attacked by the three individuals. Pursuant to his violent pummeling, Loft suffered a fractured jaw and multiple contusions.
Once the crime was reported to law enforcement, “numerous witnesses were interviewed, search warrants were served and numerous items of evidentiary value were collected” over the following four weeks, Gleason said.
That aggressive and consistent police work led Ventura County Detectives attached to the Special Services Major Crimes Bureau to identify Jess Chambers, 20, Sean Hendricks, 23, and Eric Dean, 18 as the principal suspects. Pursuant to the service of those warrants, all three were contacted, and ultimately booked into Ventura County Jail on felony charges of kidnapping and battery causing serious bodily injury, with Chambers arrested May 16th and held in lieu of $175,000 bail, Hendricks arrested May 29th and held in lieu of $125,000 bail, and Dean most recently arrested on July 15th and held in lieu of $135,000 bail, each amount individually affected by the suspects’ active criminal histories.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
Read more:
KTLA: 3 suspects arrested after severely beating man
CBSLA: 3 arrested in Camarillo kidnapping, beating
