Jose Gonzales
VENTURA COUNTY — Alert citizens are often the key to the apprehension of bold criminals.
A case in point resulted, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Det. Nora Soler, in the August 16th arrest of Camarillo area transient Jose Gonzalez and two juvenile male residents of Camarillo who were observed by a local Encino Avenue area homeowner acting suspiciously “outside her residence,” just after 2:00 a.m., whereupon she “yelled at the suspects” and then promptly called 911 Emergency.
Less than sixty seconds later, a patrol deputy rolled onto the scene and the two juvenile suspects were “immediately apprehended,” and it was determined—with the help of the homeowner’s video surveillance recording—that a third suspect remained at large, having fled the scene on foot with great haste.
That third fleet-footed suspect was soon identified as Jose Gonzales, already wanted on suspicion of burglaries perpetrated in the area in the week prior, but his whereabouts were unknown as he has no permanent place of residence.
Six hours later, however, at a Camarillo major intersection, Gonzalez was spotted by an area patrol unit, contacted, and taken into custody without incident, “suffering from an ankle injury received while swiftly fleeing from the Encino Avenue address.”
He was transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of burglary, vehicle tampering, conspiracy, attempted burglary, prowling, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The two juvenile suspects were booked into Ventura County Juvenile Hall, facing multiple charges relating to the vehicle tampering and attempted burglary reported by the watchful homeowner.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
