Photo: Armando Alvarado
Ventura County – When young adults embark upon a life of crime, and then compound a particular offense by committing others without the basic skills to pull off the original caper, it is almost a crime in itself.
That seems to be the case leading to the September 18th arrest of 18-year-old Thousand Oaks resident Armando Alvarado and his juvenile accomplice. It was just after sunrise on the 18th when, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Vince Alvarez, “deputies responded to a vehicle theft” report in the City of Fillmore.
The ensuing investigation indicated that “two male subjects entered the victim’s truck and sped away,” at which point the victim confronted the thieves in a nearby vacant lot. At that point, the victim attempted to grab hold of the truck, but the driver summarily accelerated, “nearly ran over the victim,” and careened away.
Once the suspects drove onto the public thoroughfare, the driver lost control and “collided with a parked car,” never a good idea when attempting to flee the scene in a stolen vehicle.
According to Sgt. Alvarez, multiple witnesses—including one who captured much of the action with a cellphone camera—reported the suspects careening along city streets and ultimately driving the stolen truck “into a drainage canal” before abandoning it and fleeing on foot before the cops caught up to them.
The subsequent investigation, aided by several citizen videos, led detectives to the home of Alvarado and the suspect juvenile. Search warrants were served and both Alvarado and the juvenile were taken into custody.
Alvarado was transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on charges of vehicle theft, hit-and-run driving, and assault with a deadly weapon. The Juvenile was booked at the Ventura County Juvenile Hall on charges of vehicle theft and hit-and-run driving.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
