Photo: Brandon Stein
Ventura County – It’s a hackneyed cliché that “criminals always return to the scene of the crime,” but once in a while clichés ring true.
That seems to have been the case involving the October 16th arrest of Newbury Park residents Brandon Stein, 30, and Jennifer Martin, 34. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Laura Natoli, on October 2, 2019, Stein was spotted by “an astute citizen who had been the victim of a vehicle burglary” when she parked her car at a Potrero Road trailhead just as she took off on a her daily run. When she returned to her car, she discovered her car window had been smashed and her purse, wallet, and credit cards had been stolen.
Jennifer Martin
Five days later, the victim once again parked her car at the trailhead and spotted Stein “standing by his vehicle.” After recording specific vehicle information, the victim reported this repeated sighting to Thousand Oaks Police Department detectives. Tracing the vehicle information the victim provided, detectives identified Stein as a suspect and subsequently served a search warrant on his residence and vehicle.
During the execution of the search warrants, Stein was found to be in possession of “stolen property, drug paraphernalia” and additional evidence of mail theft and auto burglary. Both Stein and his fiancée, Martin, were taken into custody and arrested for being under the influence of narcotics, possession of methamphetamine and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, and child endangerment. Stein was additionally charged with grand theft, identity theft, vehicle burglary, and possession of stolen mail, with his bail set at $360,000.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
