Photo: Stock Image
By F. Scott Faulkner
OJAI, CA
In the early morning hours of December 11, deputies from the Ojai Patrol Station responded to
a 911 call reporting a robbery at the local Circle K Gas Station.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Joseph Sharif, 32-year-old
Fidencio Ramirez of Ojai entered the store, “stole cigarettes and alcohol,” and threatened a store
employee with a knife before fleeing the scene. Surveillance footage from the store later
confirmed Ramirez’s identity, showing him brandishing the weapon while grabbing merchandise.
Minutes after the crime, Sheriff’s Dispatch issued a county-wide alert describing Ramirez and
his vehicle. Deputies quickly located him near the Circle K and attempted a traffic stop, but
Ramirez refused to comply, leading deputies on a brief vehicular pursuit through the area. No
match for the driving skills of his pursuers, Ramirez was stopped and apprehended without
further incident. The immediately ensuing search of Ramirez’s vehicle revealed the stolen goods
from the robbery.
Ramirez was transported to the Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of robbery,
recklessly evading law enforcement, and violating parole. His bail was set at $100,000, and he
remains in custody.
