News Releases

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Michael Ortega (DOB 03/05/00), of Oxnard, was sentenced to 64 years 4 months to life in state prison for the murder of John Paul Carrillo. Ortega was previously convicted by a jury on August 9, 2024. The jury also found Ortega guilty of multiple gun charges, including felony possession of a gun with methamphetamine, felony possession of a gun by a felon, and felony possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Theresa Pollara, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Homicide Unit, prosecuted the cases.

“This case illustrates the tragedy of street gang crime,” Ms. Pollara said. “The defendant acted to impress his gang, but there was nothing noble or brave about shooting an innocent youth. The judge said it best when he explained to the defendant that ‘he took two lives, his and Mr. Carrillo’s’.” 

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Jesus Andrew Sapien (DOB 12/20/79), of Port Hueneme, was sentenced to the maximum possible sentence of 325 years to life in state prison. Sapien was previously convicted by a jury on August 12, 2024, of 13 felony counts of lewd acts upon a child. The jury also found true all aggravating circumstances and special allegations, including the three victims were under the age of 14, they were vulnerable, that Sapien engaged in substantial sexual conduct, and that he took advantage of a position of trust.

Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Moreno, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit, prosecuted the case.

“The defendant betrayed the trust of a close-knit family to commit unspeakable acts of sexual abuse against multiple children,” Mr. Moreno said. “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of those crimes. While nothing can undo the harm the defendant has caused, I hope this sentence provides the victims and their families the closure they so profoundly deserve and ensures that the defendant will never again harm a child.”

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has officially proclaimed September as National Suicide Prevention Month, reaffirming their commitment to addressing the critical issue of mental health and suicide prevention in the community. This proclamation highlights the county’s dedication to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and providing resources for individuals struggling with mental health challenges.

In 2023, Ventura County had 45 gun-suicide deaths, the largest number since 2018. Four of those residents were 21 year old or younger. Firearms have been the leading cause of death for US children and teens since 2020, representing 18% of all deaths for children 1 to 18 years old in 2022, according to the CDC.

To promote firearm safety and protect children and schools from gun-related incidents, a coalition of Ventura County law enforcement agencies and educational leaders are relaunching a public service announcement (PSA). The PSA, titled “Gun Safe Storage: It’s The Law,” aims to raise awareness about the importance of secure gun storage and responsible firearms ownership.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced today that Rene Francisco Montes (DOB 06/23/89), of Newbury Park, was sentenced on September 5, 2024, to six years state prison for cashing fraudulent checks. Montes was previously found guilty by a jury on August 5, 2024, of three felony counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information of another. Before being sentenced, Montes also admitted several special allegations related to being on parole at the time he committed the crimes, and for strike priors.

Santa Paula resident Refugio Cortez (DOB 07/18/86) was sentenced to 4 years 4 months state prison, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today. Cortez was previously convicted by a jury on July 17, 2024, of a dozen felony counts of unlawful possession of guns and ammunition. The convictions included 11 felony counts of owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm by a felon and one felony count of being a person prohibited from possessing ammunition. He was found not guilty of one misdemeanor count of identity theft.

Deputy District Attorney Hyla Schneir, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office General Trials Unit, prosecuted the case.

“As a prohibited person, the Defendant’s illegal possession of firearms and ammunition posed a danger to our community,” Ms. Schneir said. “The sentence in this case reflects the seriousness of this conduct.”

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Alvin Johnson (DOB 06/10/82), of Camarillo, has been charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Ricardo Juarez Jr. and Marilyn Gallagher. Johnson is also charged with three felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and one felony count of criminal threats, including special allegations of the crime involving great violence, and personal use of a firearm.

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Abdoul Aziz Bah (DOB 05/31/94), also known as (AKA) Richard Anderson of Stockbridge, Georgia, pled guilty on August 27, 2024, to one felony count of money laundering.

In April 2023, while using the false name Richard Anderson, Bah created multiple false limited liability corporations (LLCs) for the sole purpose of receiving and laundering large amounts of cash stolen from real estate transactions. On March 1, 2023, a Newbury Park family was defrauded on their attempted purchase of a local home by inadvertently following fraudulent wire instructions directing them to wire over $200,000 to an account that was actually under the control of Bah, not the victims’ escrow company.

Bah is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2024, at 8:30 am in courtroom 26 of the Ventura County Superior Court where he faces up to three years in jail.

Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff joined United States Attorney Martin Estrada, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis, along with our law enforcement task force partners, announcing federal charges against six individuals. These individuals are accused of running a rental car agency that facilitated “crime tourists” using rental cars to break into homes and businesses in Ventura County, Los Angeles, Orange, and cities across Southern California, causing over $35 million in damages.

Law enforcement today arrested six defendants that a federal grand jury charged in a 46-count indictment alleging a Santa Clarita Valley man facilitated a crime tourism group of South Americans and other individuals who engaged in burglaries, thefts, and other crimes throughout the United States, then laundered millions of dollars in illicit proceeds. According to the indictment, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, a.k.a. “Parcero,” of Canyon Country, and his live-in girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, a.k.a. “Parcera,” controlled and operated defendant Driver Power Rentals (DPR), a Van Nuys-based car rental or dealership business. Arriagada was DPR’s registered owner.

“Driver Power Rentals provided cars that were allegedly used to take high-end merchandise and jewelry from Ventura County homeowners,” said District Attorney Nasarenko. “Taking down a key operator who fueled crime tourism is essential to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network.”

District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Joel James Gonzales (DOB 02/11/96), of Ventura, pled guilty to one count of felony lewd acts on a dependent adult. Today’s plea follows a mistrial on that count during his recent trial. On July 22, 2024, the jury convicted Gonzales of the attempted murder of a six-year-old girl, felony assault with intent to commit rape during a burglary, and misdemeanor aggravated trespassing. Several special allegations and aggravating factors were also found true, including Gonzales causing great bodily injury in commission of a felony, the crime involving great violence, the victim being vulnerable, and the defendant taking advantage of a position of trust. A mistrial was declared because the jury deadlocked on whether the attempted murder was premeditated and deliberate. As part of today’s disposition, Gonzales withdrew his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

“The defendant’s plea and convictions today enable each of the victims to receive the justice and closure they deserve,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Tom Steele, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office applauds the signing of Assembly Bill 1779 by Governor Gavin Newsom. This crucial legislation, authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin and signed by Governor Newsom on August 16, 2024, strengthens California’s ability to combat organized retail theft, a growing concern for business owners and communities across the state.

AB 1779, sponsored by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, amends Penal Code section 786.5, granting county district attorneys the authority to consolidate related theft offenses occurring across multiple counties into a single prosecution. Consolidated prosecutions under AB 1779 will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system in dealing with these complex and often violent crimes.