By F. Scott Faulkner
Ventura County, CA — A Camarillo resident was arrested in connection with a series of violent events that left two people dead and many other injured. Alvin Otis Johnson, 42, was arrested on August 29. On the afternoon of August 29, Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies responded to
an 911 call reporting a stabbing at an intersection in the city of Oxnard
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Gabriel Gonzales,
when uniformed patrol deputies rolled up to the scene, they found 33-year-old Ricardo
Juarez, “who had suffered a serious stab wound.”
The immediately ensuing investigation revealed that Juarez had been traveling in a
vehicle with his passenger, 42-year-old Oxnard resident Alvin Otis Johnson when the
stabbing occurred. Following the attack, Juarez “exited the vehicle” while Johnson fled the
scene in the victim’s car.
Juarez was promptly transported to a local area hospital where he was later
pronounced dead. A full-press manhunt for Johnson and the stolen vehicle was
immediately initiated, involving the VCSD Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau, Camarillo
Special Enforcement Unit, Camarillo Investigations, Camarillo Patrol, West County Patrol,
West County Special Enforcement Unit, East County Major Crimes Unit, Fillmore
Investigations, Technical Surveillance Unit, and Sheriff’s Aviation Unit.
Later that afternoon, at approximately 5:08 p.m., deputies received a 911 call about an
assault with a deadly weapon at a Camarillo home just as “another victim” staggered
into the Camarillo Police Station reporting he had been assaulted at the same residence
and sustained injuries.
Deputies immediately went to the residence, whereupon they
encountered Johnson, who was armed with a handgun. He was quickly disarmed and
taken into custody as deputies discovered 75-year-old Marilyn Gallagher inside the
home, suffering from severe head trauma.
She was immediately transported to a local area hospital where, like Ricardo Juarez
earlier that day, she succumbed to her wounds. Another male victim was also found at
the scene with non-life-threatening injuries.
Johnson was transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on two counts
of murder, two counts of attempted murder, negligent discharge of a firearm,
kidnapping, false imprisonment, and possession of a firearm by an addict. He remains
in custody with his bail set at $2 million.
