OXNARD : 2 Men, 15-Year-Old Held in Carjacking

Oxnard police arrested two men and a juvenile Tuesday in connection with an early morning carjacking in which an Oxnard man was struck in the head and threatened with a screwdriver, authorities said.

The incident began at 3 a.m. as Jesus Ruiz, 18, was sleeping in a friend’s car parked in front of Ruiz’s residence in the 300 block of Bonita Avenue in the La Colonia area of Oxnard, said Oxnard Police Officer Robert Coughlin.

Four suspects confronted Ruiz, striking him in the head with a beer bottle and holding a screwdriver to his throat before forcing him from the pickup, Coughlin said. Authorities said Ruiz sustained minor injuries.

An 8-week-old pit bull owned by Ruiz remained in the vehicle as the suspects drove away.

Alerted by Ruiz, Oxnard police spotted a vehicle matching the description of the stolen pickup in south Oxnard and stopped it after the suspects turned into a dead-end street, Coughlin said.

Thomas Vasquez, 19, and Freddy Romero, 18, both of Oxnard, were arrested on suspicion of strong-arm robbery and grand theft, and taken to Ventura County Jail. Police also arrested a 15-year-old Oxnard boy, who was taken to Clifton Tatum Juvenile Hall.

Police were still searching for the driver of the stolen vehicle, who fled on foot, Coughlin said.

Vasquez and Romero are being held in lieu of $20,000 bail each and are scheduled to be arraigned in Ventura County Municipal Court on Thursday afternoon.