Ventura Man Suspected of Placing Blades in Cars

A 53-year-old Ventura man has been arrested on suspicion of placing industrial knife blades on the car seats of a dozen unsuspecting motorists in Simi Valley, cutting some of them.

The suspect, Gary Jean Muntifering, was taken into custody Tuesday night in the parking lot of a K mart in Burbank, where he is suspected of also placing blades in two cars.

Officers had been staking out the lot when they spotted Muntifering’s black Nissan pickup truck, which matched the description of a vehicle seen by one of the victims, Burbank Police Detective Roger Mason said.

Detectives detained Muntifering at the scene and found several dozen heavy-duty commercial box knife blades in his possession, police said. The 1 1/2-inch blades are used for industrial cutting tools and can be purchased at most hardware stores, they added.

Simi Valley Lt. Mark Layhew said Muntifering is suspected of placing the blades on the seats of 12 cars in Simi Valley and the two cars in Burbank between June 10 and 14.

Layhew said police did not have a motive for the assaults.

“Any conclusions drawn at this point would be speculative,” he said.

The incidents in Simi Valley occurred at four locations: Vons grocery store at 660 Los Angeles Ave., Vons at 1855 Cochran St., Ralphs at 2765 Los Angeles Ave. and Mervyn’s department store at 2801 Cochran St.

The Burbank incidents took place on two different days in the parking lot of a Vons at 1011 N. San Fernando Road.

All of the Simi Valley victims were women between the ages of 17 and 32, Layhew said. Eleven of them live in Simi Valley, the other is from Moorpark.

Mason said all of the victims had left their cars unlocked when they went into the stores.

“He seemed to select certain locations and return there. He had several stores in Simi Valley he would return to over and over,” he said.

The suspect did not try to contact or talk with any of the women, Layhew said.

Seven women suffered cuts to their legs as a result of the blades being placed on their car seats, several of whom required stitches, Mason said.

Muntifering, an unemployed commercial fisherman, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon. He remained in Burbank jail Wednesday in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Burbank police plan to ask the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office to file charges against Muntifering today. He may be scheduled for arraignment later in the day at Burbank Municipal Court.

Layhew said Simi Valley police have discussed their cases with the Ventura County district attorney, but Muntifering has not yet been arrested in connection with the Simi Valley cases.

Simi Valley and Burbank police are continuing their joint investigation and have asked that anybody who fell victim to a similar assault contact authorities by calling Simi Valley police at 583-6950 or Burbank police at 818-953-8731.

Times staff writer Julie Tamaki contributed to this story.