OJAI : 2 Youths Held in ‘Ninja’ Crime Spree
Two teen-agers suspected of committing a string of crimes in Ojai while wearing masks and black Ninja costumes have been arrested, authorities said Friday.
The youths, whose names were not released because they are minors, are being held in juvenile detention, said Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Susan Salmon. A third youth who was arrested was released pending further investigation, Salmon said.
About 1:40 a.m. Tuesday, two youths broke into one home and threatened a 15-year-old boy with a knife before stealing his sister’s car, authorities said. Later that morning, two youths broke into another house after ransacking several cars and stealing a purse from one of them, authorities said.
Police stopped one of the suspects as he drove a car near Meiners Oaks about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Salmon said. The other arrests followed police questioning of the youth, Salmon said.
Witnesses earlier told police that the car was seen in the area on the night of the robberies, Salmon said.
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