December 7, 2015 – Ventura County
Not that we’re ever given an option of weapons with which we’d prefer to be attacked, but surely among those at the bottom of that list would be a nice, sharp hatchet.
Given that, one can only imagine the serious intent to inflict physical harm which Dustin Beverford, a 34-year-old Oxnard resident, had in mind when he allegedly struck a man in the head with a hatchet on the night of December 4th.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Eric Tennessen, a 911 Emergency call brought deputies to a Camarillo home at 10:00 p.m. on the night in question, where they found a male victim suffering “a severe laceration on the top of his head,” which they determined was caused by someone wielding a hatchet as a weapon.
While the victim was being transported to Ventura County Medical Center for treatment, on-scene investigation revealed the identity of the assailant as Beverford.
In spite of “a lengthy search,” the ensuing investigation that evening did not produce Mr. Beverford, as he had apparently left the scene on foot. It was, according to Tennessen, nearly 24 hours later when Beverford was observed on the streets of Ventura, whereupon patrol officers made contact with him and attempted to affect an arrest.
Apparently unimpressed by the appearance of uniformed cops, “Beverford resisted arrest and made threats to the arresting deputies.” Once he was subdued and in custody, Beverford was found to be in possession of unprescribed medications as well as a canister of tear gas.
Subsequent investigation into the hatchet assault indicated that Beverford had made threats against witnesses to that event, compounding the charges against him.
Once he was transported to Ventura County Jail, Beverford was booked on charges of attempted murder, threats to a peace officer, possession of a prescription medication without a prescription, possession of tear gas by an addict, and criminal threats, with his bail set at $2,000,000.
