VENTURA : Police Say Boy Shot Over Love Triangle

A youth was shot twice by another teen-ager in a quiet Ventura neighborhood Wednesday night, apparently over a love triangle, police said.

No one had been arrested by late Wednesday evening.

Ventura Police Sgt. Bob Velez said the shooting occurred in the 60 block of Cambria Avenue about 9 p.m.

“What we have is a situation where two juveniles know the same woman,” he said. “One of them was an ex-boyfriend, the other is a current boyfriend.”

Police do not know if the shooting was gang-related and are continuing to investigate.

The current boyfriend made a series of obscene phone calls to the ex-boyfriend that culminated in the argument involving him, the shooting victim and their friends, Velez said.

“One juvenile produced a handgun and handed it to the shooter,” Velez said. “The shooter pointed at the victim, who said, ‘What are you going to do, shoot me?’ ”

The suspect fired once, hitting the ex-boyfriend in the arm. The victim turned to run and was hit in the side by a second bullet, Velez said. The suspect and his friends then fled the area on bicycles.

The victim ran to a home on nearby El Cajon Street and pounded on the door for help, Velez said. He was helped inside by residents Matt Dreasher and Tara Finnigan.

“We were watching TV when we heard a banging on the door and opened it,” said Dreasher, 31. “The guy said he had been shot, so we applied pressure on the wounds until the Fire Department showed up.”

Finnigan said the victim was scared and could not believe that he had been shot. The boy, whose name was not released by police, was being treated at Ventura County Medical Center late Wednesday night.