Calleguas Creek at Mission Oaks, where the suspicious fires were set
Ventura County – A cooperative effort among members of multiple law enforcement and public safety organizations over the entire month of October has resulted in the arrest of Juan Elvington and Christian Byrd, both of Camarillo, on charges of arson.
The investigation leading up to their arrests began in October following multiple calls for the Ventura County Fire Department to respond to what Ventura Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Eric Tennessen described to the media as “suspicious fires” that erupted more than once in the dry riverbed of Calleguas Creek, as well as “in the adjacent industrial area.” Pursuant to those emergency situations requiring significant fire fighting resources, arson investigators eventually determined that the fires were purposefully set by means of arson.
At that point, the VCSD’s Camarillo Special Enforcement Detail and the Camarillo Detective Bureau became involved and pursued an aggressive investigation. The product of that was the identification of Byrd and Elvington as potential suspects, whereupon a search warrant for their individual residences was obtained. On November 5th, those warrants were served, yielding sufficient evidence that both Byrd and Elvington had been responsible for the rash of fires in prior weeks.
Both men were arrested at their homes, taken into custody, and transported to Ventura County Jail where they were charged with multiple counts of arson. According to Tennessen, authorities continue to seek “public assistance in identifying additional unreported arsons” in the area, and urge anyone with such information to contact Det. Gregg Delarosa at (805)383-8743.
