May 3, 2023
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that on May 2, 2023, Robert Ryan McGraa (DOB 06/01/81), of Thousand Oaks, was sentenced to 15 years 4 months state prison after pleading guilty to six felony charges related to human trafficking, possession of child sexual abuse material, and luring a minor for a lewd purpose. McGraa is a previously convicted sex offender and human trafficker. In 2019, members of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation received a tip that McGraa had child sexual abuse material in his email account. After a lengthy and comprehensive investigation, investigators discovered that McGraa had numerous images of prepubescent child females being sexually assaulted by adult males. McGraa actively exchanged these types of images over the internet with other child sexual assault predators. McGraa had multiple prior felony convictions of sexual crimes against minors. In 2005, he was arrested by the Ridgecrest Police…
May 2, 2023
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Everardo Meza Alamillo (DOB 08/24/69), of Santa Paula, was convicted by a Ventura County jury of two first-degree murder counts for the 1993 murders of his estranged wife, Adriana Meza, and her boyfriend, Armando Cauich Jr. The jury also found true the special allegations that Alamillo personally used a firearm and committed multiple murders. On October 13, 1993, Alamillo went to visit his daughter at Ms. Meza’s home in Santa Paula. Ms. Meza allowed the visit because she wanted Alamillo to be a part of their daughter’s life. Alamillo left and returned later that evening, parked his vehicle nearby, and waited with a loaded .22-caliber rifle. Alamillo eventually entered the home through a back door and walked into Ms. Meza’s bedroom. Alamillo shot her three times and Mr. Cauich Jr. twice while they lay in bed. Alamillo’s 2-year-old daughter was asleep between the…
April 27, 2023
On April 26, 2023, Alex Alvarado (DOB 06/11/91), of Simi Valley, pled guilty to one felony count of selling fentanyl, in violation of Health and Safety Code 11352(a). Alvarado also admitted to the special allegations that he served a prior term in prison or county jail, and that he was on probation or parole when the crime was committed. In September 2022, Simi Valley Police Department narcotics detectives received information that Alvarado was selling fentanyl. After a thorough investigation, Alvarado was arrested for multiple sales of fentanyl. Detectives executed a search warrant at Alvarado’s residence, locating both fentanyl and methamphetamine. Fentanyl is a highly addictive and often deadly synthetic drug. It is estimated to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is one of the most common drugs associated with overdose deaths in the United States. In 2022, the Ventura County Medical Examiner reported 278 overdose deaths.…
April 26, 2023
On April 21, 2023, Leslie Vargas (DOB 08/03/01), of Oxnard, pled guilty to one count of insurance fraud.
April 24, 2023
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will host a ceremony at Simi Valley City Hall commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) on April 27, 2023. This will be the first time the annual event will be held in the east county. The event takes place from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will include speakers and a march to raise awareness about crime victims. Simi Valley is the third largest city in Ventura County and is home to Safe Harbor East, a county-owned facility that assists victims of sexual violence and human trafficking in a residential, homelike setting. The facility offers sexual assault nurse exams, forensic interviews, and one-on-one counseling. The theme for NCVRW 2023 is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” This year’s ceremony will focus on human trafficking and include remarks from Alia Dewees, a dedicated advocate and trafficking survivor working to end human trafficking and empower…
April 21, 2023
On April 20, 2023, Arayveion Edwards (DOB 05/13/97), from Florida, pled not guilty at arraignment in the Ventura County Superior Court. Edwards is charged with six felony counts, including human trafficking, pimping and possession of an unregistered loaded firearm and high-capacity magazines. On April 18, 2023, officers with the Ventura Police Department contacted Edwards regarding an alleged stolen vehicle. During that contact, a female with Edwards pleaded with officers for help. Edwards is accused of bringing the victim from Florida to California and forcing the victim to engage in commercial sex work by using violence and psychological coercion. He is also charged with being in possession of a loaded unregistered firearm and high-capacity magazines at the time of his arrest. Deputy District Attorney Rikole Kelly, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Unit, is the prosecutor handling the case. An early disposition conference…
Settlement Reached in Illegal Disposal of Toxic Substance into Ventura Harbor
On April 21, 2023, the Ventura County District Attorney and Silver Bay Seafoods entered a stipulated Final Judgment resolving a civil prosecution relating to the company’s 2021 and 2022 releases of stick water. Stick water is squid ink wastewater which is lethal to fish and marine life due to its high concentration of ammonia. Under the terms of the settlement, Silver Bay Seafoods agreed to pay $36,815, which included $12,500 in penalties to the Ventura County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund, $12,500 in penalties to the CDFW Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and $5,000 in civil penalties and $6,815 in investigative costs to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
April 20, 2023
On April 20, 2023, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Austin Allen Eis (DOB 05/29/98), of Camarillo, has been charged with the murder of 15-year-old Wesley W. of Thousand Oaks. Eis has also been charged with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, use of pepper spray, second-degree commercial burglary, first-degree residential burglary, false imprisonment by violence and three misdemeanor counts of brandishing a knife. He is also facing several special allegations, including three counts of causing great bodily injury. On April 18, 2023, Eis is accused of committing a crime spree throughout Ventura County. Eis is alleged to have entered a Simi Valley Walmart, where he used pepper spray and stabbed one employee, physically assaulted and attempted to drag a second employee and lunged at two additional employees with a knife. After leaving Walmart, Eis is alleged to have fled to a residence in Camarillo and…
April 19, 2023
On April 19, 2023, Jason Armenta (DOB 03/06/01), of Oxnard, was sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to 50 years to life in prison. Armenta had previously been convicted by a jury on April 26, 2022, of the first-degree murder of Cristobal Gonzalez, a rival gang member. The jury also found Armenta guilty of attempted murder of a second victim, that Armenta personally used a firearm in the commission of the crimes, and that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. On April 4, 2021, Armenta drove multiple times into a residential neighborhood in south Oxnard, looking for rival gang members and eventually parked and exited his car. Armenta then ran toward a playground area where Mr. Gonzalez was standing and fired numerous rounds from a semi-automatic handgun at Mr. Gonzalez and a second victim. Mr. Gonzalez was struck once in the head and died…
April 14, 2023
On April 13, 2023, Javontay Bess (DOB 03/26/96), of Fresno, pled guilty in Ventura County Superior Court to felony human trafficking, by causing a minor to engage in a commercial sex act. He also admitted to the special allegation of committing the crime while on probation or parole. In May 2019, an alert citizen called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office to report suspicious circumstances and possible sex trafficking at a Camarillo motel. Ventura County Sheriff’s detectives initiated an investigation into the sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old victim. Both the minor victim as well as the suspect were from outside Ventura County. Detectives ultimately determined that Bess used online advertising to arrange commercial sex acts with the 16-year-old victim at Ventura County motels. Bess is currently serving a prison sentence in Kern County after being convicted of multiple felonies including assault with a firearm, assault on a peace officer and child…