Ventura County – The wheels of justice, while frequently turning at a painstaking pace, rarely come to a complete standstill. This reality was borne out in the case of Michael Zermeno, a 32-year old Ventura resident who died on February 9, 2014 as the result of a heroin overdose. Zermeno suffered the overdose in his home two days earlier, and had been admitted to Ventura County Medical Center where he failed to regain consciousness and was ultimately pronounced dead.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Victor Fazio, a law enforcement investigation ensued which indicated that Zermeno had been provided the heroin by Matthew Slough, 23, also of Ventura. Shortly thereafter, Fazio reported, “investigators from the Ventura County interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit sought and obtained a search warrant for Slough’s residence” which resulted in his arrest on suspicion of heroin sales.
Troy Slough
While Slough was released on bail on that charge, law enforcement agencies throughout the county, including the Sheriff’s Gang Unit, soon learned that Slough was engaged in illegal weapons activities in spite of his felony bail status and with the service of yet another search warrant, both Slough and his 50-year old father Troy Slough were found to be in possession of “two manufactured zip guns as well as homemade silencers and high-capacity magazines. At the time of their arrests, both father and son were determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and engaged in operating a concentrated cannabis lab.
While the elder Slough was released on bail, on August 6th, Matthew Slough was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Zermeno, as well as with causing great bodily injury or death in the commission of dealing heroin, and remains at Ventura County Jail on a no-bail hold.
Photos: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
Read more:
CBSLA: Ventura man charged with involuntary manslaughter
EdHat: Manslaughter arrest
