Gang-Related Fights in 3 Cities Injure 5

Gang-related fights erupted in three Ventura County cities during the weekend, shattering neighborhood quiet and injuring five people, two of them seriously.

Fifteen people, many of them juveniles, were arrested in the melees in Ventura, Oxnard and Thousand Oaks. One man, Guillermo Munoz, 20, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Two youths who suffered serious stab wounds in separate incidents remained hospitalized Sunday. Octavio Avalos, 17, of Oxnard was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Ventura County Medical Center with stab wounds in his back and side, hospital spokeswoman Helen Burkhart said. Enrique Alfonso Cordova, 26, of Hanford, Calif., was in stable condition at the hospital with five stab wounds in his back and leg, authorities said.

Cordova was injured about 3 a.m. Sunday when a group of youths involved with a Ventura Avenue gang tried to crash a party at a condominium in the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue, a few blocks from the Ventura Police Station, according to a police report.

“The dudes were yelling ‘Ventura Avenue’ and stuff like that,” one witness told police.

Several witnesses told police that the gang members shouted slogans and threw bottles at the building where 21-year-old Leslie Ann Diaz lived. Diaz said that when she and Cordova went outside to confront them, several of the youths stabbed Cordova. She called for help, and Cordova’s brother and another youth dragged Cordova into the house.

Police arrested Munoz of Ventura on suspicion of attempted murder; James Cueva, 24, of Ventura on suspicion of battery of a complex security guard; a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon; and 10 more juveniles on curfew violations.

In the Oxnard incident, Avalos and Martin Guzman were at 421 Hill St. near the intersection of California 1 and Saviers Road at 7:15 p.m. Saturday when six youths confronted them, Oxnard Police Sgt. Jeff Young said.

Shouting gang slogans, the group chased the two youths and hit them with bottles, Young said. Avalos was hit over the head with a bottle and then stabbed, but Guzman was uninjured, Young said. Oxnard police had arrested no suspects Sunday, police said.

In Thousand Oaks, two youths were stabbed and a 15-year-old girl was hit by a car during a melee involving 30 young people, Ventura County sheriff’s deputies said.

The fight erupted at a party on the 1600 block of Calle De Oro at 10:15 p.m. Saturday, Sgt. Terry Hughes said.

Two juveniles, ages 17 and 15, both of Thousand Oaks, were stabbed after a group of youths surrounded their car and broke the windows with bricks, police said. Police did not release information on whether the attackers were gang members, but witnesses told police that gang members had been at the party that evening.

The two youths suffered neck, leg and chest wounds, police said. The two youths and the girl hit by the car were treated at a hospital and released, police said.

Two youths from Thousand Oaks were later arrested in connection with the fight, police said.

Eighteen-year-old George Lozano and a 17-year-old youth were arrested for possession of a switchblade knife, police said.

Lozano was booked at the East Valley Jail, and the other suspect was cited and released to his parent, police said.