Photo: File photo of Rotherie Durell Foster | Ventura County Jail Booking
Written By: Robert L. McCullough
In a case dating back to July of this year, 37-year-old Camarillo resident Rotherie Durell Foster was arrested on January 13th for the murder of 35-year-old Jose Antonio Velasquez, who also called Camarillo home.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Albert Ramirez, after being in contact via text message with friends on July 28, 2023, his family reported him as missing on July 30th. At that time, the VCSD Major Crimes Bureau began to investigate, “suspecting foulplay was involved.” The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit then conducted “extensive searches of remote areas” which proved fruitless.
His disappearance remained a mystery to authorities until October 3, 2023 when his body was discovered by hikers in the unincorporated Los Angeles County area between Agoura Hills and Calabasas. An autopsy was conducted indicating that Velasquez had been the victim of a homicide. Evidence gathered by the Crime Analysis Unit lead detectives to identify Foster as responsible for the murder.
Once identified, Foster was contacted by detectives and was taken into custody on January 13th .
He was arrested and transported to Ventura County Jail and charged with first degree homicide. He remains in custody with his bail set at $2,000,000.
