Photo: Mario Montez
April 16, 2021 – Ventura County, Ca.
By any reasonable standard, an individual on Post Release Community Supervision should do all within his or her power to avoid criminal activity; the consequences for ignoring this principle can be harsh.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Brian Whittaker, 43-year-old Ventura transient Mario Montez apparently gave little thought to the provisions of his parole on the morning of April 14th .
It was at approximately 10:00 AM in downtown Ventura when detectives attached to the Camarillo Special Enforcement Detail, the Sheriff’s Gang Unit, and the Headquarters Investigation Unit—investigating a reported “series of burglaries and thefts”—spotted a stolen vehicle driven by Montez. He was immediately recognized by the cops “from prior contacts” as a probationer on community release after convictions for felony evasion and other violations of probation terms.
As Montez pulled into a downtown commercial area parking lot, he spotted detectives on his tail, and immediately took off in an effort to flee on foot. He was taken into custody “after a very brief foot pursuit.” He was in possession of the stolen vehicle’s ignition key, and the ensuing search of the hot car lead to the discovery of unspecified amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and “an operable stun-gun” as well as assorted burglary tools.
Montez was transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of resisting arrest, receiving stolen property, auto theft, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a stun gun, and possession of burglary tools. His bail on those charges amounted to $80,000, and remains in custody on a no-bail hold pursuant to his probation warrants.
