May 4, 2023
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Rodolfo Duran (DOB 07/31/95), of Santa Paula, was sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court to 34 years to life in prison. Duran previously pled guilty on April 6, 2023, to sodomy of a child 10 years of age or younger and forcible sodomy of a child under 14 years of age for conduct related to two separate victims. Duran also admitted to the special allegations that the crimes involved great violence, he took advantage of a position of trust, and the victims were vulnerable. In 2018, one of the victims reported the crimes to her Santa Paula school teacher. Detectives quickly identified a second victim and established that Duran had molested them for years. While being interviewed by detectives from the Santa Paula Police Department, Duran confessed to the allegations. Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Moreno, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s…
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…
March 27, 2023
On March 24, 2023, a Ventura County jury convicted Jesus Zavala Castaneda (DOB 05/24/60), of Oxnard, on two counts of lewd touching of a minor under 14 years old. The jury also found all aggravating factors related to each count to be true. Castaneda sexually exploited an underage family member between 2018 and 2019. The conduct stopped in June 2019 when the 13-year-old victim reported the abuse. Following a two-week trial that included courageous testimony from the victim, her peers, her mother, as well as a senior detective, teacher, and expert on child abuse, a jury convicted Castaneda of two felony violations. “I was struck by the courage of the victim and the strength of her mother,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Edward Andrews, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit. “For adolescents reporting sexual abuse, good parental support is the most vital tool for…
November 5, 2021 – Ventura County Family Justice Center Celebrates $1 Million for Expansion
With the support of Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, $1 million was secured in the 2021-2022 State Budget for our new satellite office coming to Oxnard. Over a third of the victims served by the Family Justice Center live in Oxnard and many are Mixteco or Spanish only speaking, with limited access to transportation. This site will make services more accessible to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse, hate crimes human trafficking, and other assaults. Joining us at the Family Justice Center to celebrate were Assemblymember Irwin, Senator Monique Limon, Mayor John Zaragoza (City of Oxnard) Sheriff Bill Ayub, County Supervisors Carmen Ramirez and Matt Lavere, Councilmember Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios (City of Ventura), Ventura County CEO Mike Powers, Oxnard Chief of Police Jason Benites, Port Hueneme Chief of Police Andrew Salinas, Ventura County Family Justice Foundation Board Members: Dr. Thomas Duncan, Billie Jo Rodriguez, Anthony Mireles, Dianne McKay, Chris…
Victim Advocate Volunteer
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office provides services to thousands of victims every year and seeks qualified volunteers to make an important contribution to public safety and crime victims in Ventura County. Volunteer staff complete an initial 48 hours of training, which prepares them to assist victims with certain services, including obtaining a restraining order, emergency shelter placement, and court accompaniment. Volunteer training includes the following subject areas: Minimum Requirements: Victim Advocate Volunteers are coordinated by the Ventura County Family Justice CenterVolunteer opportunities include: If you are interested in joining our volunteer team, please complete this application and send with your resume by email noting your interests to vcfjc@ventura.org. If you have questions, please call (805) 652-7655. Or return a completed application form to: Development & Outreach ManagerVentura County Family Justice Center3170 Loma Vista RoadVentura, CA 93009
High Tech Task Force
In 2000, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office joined other Southern California law enforcement agencies to create the Southern California High Technology Crime Task Force (SCHTTF). The Task Force is made up of investigators from the District Attorney’s Office, civilian computer forensic examiners and representatives from other law enforcement agencies. The SCHTTF provides highly technical support and forensic technology services for the District Attorney’s ever-growing number of cases involving digital evidence and provides specialized training to other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. Hundreds of computers, data storage devices and cellular phones are analyzed annually by the SCHTTF. Digital evidence has proven crucial in the prosecution of capital murder cases, sexual assaults and other serious cases. Task Force personnel also work with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases involving Internet crimes against children and other computer crimes.
Safe Harbor MDIC
Safe Harbor Ventura County is a coalition of public and private agencies to assist investigations and provide services to victims of child physical and sexual abuse and to adult victims of sexual assault. Administered by the District Attorney’s Office, partner agencies include all law enforcement agencies in the county, Child Protective Services of the Ventura County Human Services Agency, the Coalition for Family Harmony, the Partnership for Safe Families and Communities of Ventura County, Casa Pacifica, the Ventura County Health Care Agency, and the Ventura County Medical Association. Safe Harbor operates two Multi-Disciplinary Interview Centers (MDIC): one located in Ventura serving West County, and one in Simi Valley serving East County. The centers are located in houses that were adapted to provide comfortable, secure and confidential environments for interviews and medical examinations. The program promotes dignity and minimizes trauma for victims by reducing the number of interviews a victim must…
Family Justice Center
The Ventura County Family Justice Center (FJC), was opened to improve the lives of those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, human trafficking, and other violent crimes. District Attorney staff collaborates with a team of more than 35 agencies dedicated to a shared, vital cause — to reduce trauma, eliminate repeat victimization, mitigate future risks and make a lasting, positive difference in countless lives. Through our welcoming community and comprehensive, holistic services that focus on the whole person, Family Justice Center empowers and supports survivors of all ages and their families. District Attorney victim advocates and volunteers also provide traditional services and classes in both English and Spanish on the process and forms required to obtain restraining orders as well as information on the dynamics and dangers of violent relationships.
2012 Victims’ Rights Summit
Remarks of: Ventura County District Attorney Gregory D. Totten Real Justice: Victims’ Rights Delivered May 14, 2012 Sacramento, California On behalf of the California District Attorneys Association I am delighted to welcome you to this important statewide conference on victims’ rights. At the outset, I want to acknowledge and thank the California Emergency Management Agency for the funding that made this conference possible. With their support the next two days promise to be both informative and inspirational. It is also our goal to use this conference as the foundation for a future report that will serve as blue print for the delivery of victims’ rights and services here in California. [collapsible_item title=”Read More”] We are fortunate to have such a diverse gathering here today that includes state officials, peace officers, prosecutors, victim advocates, community based organizations and crime survivors. Each of you brings a unique perspective to this subject and…