Photo: Stock Image
It took ten months, but the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department East County Major Crimes Unit appears to have finally caught the man responsible for a late stickup at a Thousand Oaks gas station that took place at approximately 2315 hours on September 12, 2022.
When the robbery was reported at a neighborhood Shell Gas Station, local patrol deputies in Thousand Oaks promptly initiated an investigation into the incident and obtained video surveillance footage as evidence. According to VCSD spokesman Det. Ken Michaelson, the footage confirmed that the robbery had been perpetrated by “an individual of Hispanic descent,” who not only stole from the gas station but also physically assaulted the manager before making his escape in a gray sedan.
Notably, the license plate of the suspect’s vehicle was captured in the video footage.
At that point, the East County Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation and successfully identified 44-year-old Woodland Hills, Ca. resident Anthony Hernandez as the primary suspect. Hernandez managed to evade law enforcement for a considerable period of time; however, in May 2023, Thousand Oaks patrol deputies apprehended him for offenses including hit and run, resisting arrest, and multiple drug-related charges. Hernandez was also arrested on two separate warrants issued by jurisdictions outside the county, specifically for charges related to firearms and narcotics.
On June 6, 2023, detectives from the East County Major Crimes Unit arrested Hernandez once again and subsequently filed an additional charge of PC 211 – Robbery. Currently, Hernandez is being held in custody at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility without bail due to his out-of-county warrants with his bail set at $210,000.00.
