Ventura – If you’re going to be sneaking around in residential neighborhoods looking for cars to burglarize or steal, it might be a good idea not to be doing it at 4:30 in the morning, where any activity is likely to alert neighbors and their barking dogs.
But in the pre-dawn hours of March 29th, that is apparently what Gregory Ledbetter, 24, Melissa Zeir, 32, and an unnamed juvenile were attempting to do when Ventura Police Department 911 Emergency Operators received a homeowner call reporting what is described in the SPD Watch Commander’s report as “suspects casing vehicles in the area,” and that they were “checking door handles on vehicles parked both on the street and in the driveways of homes in the area.”
With VPD officers responding and enroute, however, the three suspects boarded a waiting vehicle and drove away, apparently departing the neighborhood as quickly as possible. As things go at that hour of the night, however, a speeding vehicle is easily seen driving down residential streets, and just blocks away a routine patrol unit spotted the vehicle, conducted a traffic stop, and made contact with Ledbetter, Zeir, and the juvenile, whom they detained at the scene.
Pursuant to positive identification by the witnesses reporting having seen active auto tampering on their street and a search of their vehicle, the three suspects were found to be in possession of a loaded firearm as well as several items suspected to be stolen property.
All three were arrested at the scene and transported to Ventura County Jail, where Ledbetter was booked on charges of conspiracy, vehicle tampering, possession of narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia. Zeir, found to be driving on a suspended license, was cited for the violation and the vehicle was summarily impounded. The unidentified male juvenile was booked into Ventura County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with conspiracy, vehicle tampering, possession of a loaded firearm, and on a juvenile warrant.
Read more:
EdHat: Vehicle tampering, possession of loaded firearm
Citizen Journal: Ventura PD arrest trio after tip by resident
