Ventura Pier
Some criminals make no bones about the fact that they’ll do just about anything to avoid being arrested and going to jail.
Michael Hernandez, a 35-year-old resident of Ventura, appears to be one of those folks. So determined was he to avoid police contact of any kind that when he was walking in the beach area of Harbor Boulevard late in the morning of October 28th and was spotted by a uniformed Ventura Police Department officer who attempted to contact him under suspicion of being what the VPD Watch Commander’s report described as “a wanted person,” he high-tailed it on foot, running toward the Ventura Pier.
The pursuing officer lost sight of Hernandez and promptly called for uniformed support. Once on the scene, the cops “set up a perimeter in the area” and proceeded to conduct a methodical search of the area. Shortly thereafter, Hernandez was seen on a rock jetty east of the pier near Surfer’s Point.
Spotting the cops moving in his direction, Hernandez summarily jumped into the frigid Pacific and attempted to swim to freedom.
Undoubtedly recognizing the hazards of swimming in turbulent surf and low temperature conditions, officers on the beach implored Hernandez to come to shore, but he continued to swim several hundred yards toward the Orient, even making it around the 2,000-ft long 140-year-old pier.
Even when a Ventura Harbor Patrol boat pulled alongside Hernandez, he refused to comply with orders to come aboard. But apparently the elements proved more convincing than armed cops, and 45 minutes later Hernandez—undoubtedly hypothermic—walked out of the water and onto the beach under his own power.
He was promptly taken into custody, and following medical clearance at Ventura County Medical Center, was transported to Ventura County Jail for booking on a charge of resisting arrest and a felony Post Release Offender warrant.
Photo: Courtesy City of Ventura
