June 17, 2020 – Ventura, Ca.
The arrest of 27-year-old Ventura area transient Benito Benavides on the morning of June 16th may very well prove that eternal vigilance is a fundamental requirement for success as a criminal.
Benavides was awakened from his slumber on the campus of Ventura’s St. Bonaventure High School when cops arrived for what Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt Steve Jenkins reported as “an unrelated call” about a homeless man sleeping on the school grounds.
Deputies made contact with the sleepy Benavides and quickly discovered that he was in possession of two-way radios “valued at over $800” which had been reported as stolen from the City of Ventura Aquatic Center in the pre-dawn hours of June 15th. He was also found to be in possession of an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine.
That reported theft began an investigation that included VCSD review of video surveillance footage recorded at the scene of the crime. That video evidence “depicted a suspect climbing a fence” and subsequently leaving the premises with the two-way radios in hand.
Benavides, once roused from his slumber, was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail. He was booked on charges of second-degree commercial burglary, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of stolen property. He remains in custody with his bail set at $100,000.
