Ventura County – According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Jacob Holt, an investigation begun in June has produced a plethora of evidence pointing to the illegal possession, manufacture, and sale of weaponry emanating from the Oxnard residence of 36-year-old Nester “Swivel” Tovar.
It was during a two-month period of detective work into the activities of Tovar by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Gang Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit, and the Camarillo Special Enforcement Unit, that authorities “received information” indicating “Tovar had stored a safe containing several assault weapons at a friend’s residence.”
When, on August 3rd, detectives served a search warrant upon both Tovar’s residence and that of his “friend,” they discovered “thousands of live rounds of ammunition, body armor, high-capacity ammunition magazines,” and various materials used in the manufacture of illegal weapons and firearms accessories. When detectives located the safe about which they had received information, the found inside numerous additional items taken into evidence, including ten assault rifles, three short-barreled rifles, and two bolt-action rifles.
Tovar was summarily arrested and transported to Ventura County Jail where he was booked on charges of manufacturing assault weapons, possession of assault weapons, possession of a short-barreled rifle, possession of a silencer, importation of high capacity magazines, and—perhaps giving some indication of the source of the information received by law enforcement prompting their investigation—violation of a domestic relations court order.
Photo: courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
