Carjackings on the Rise, Officials Warn : Crime: Such attacks are still rare in the county but they are spreading. Police urge public awareness.

Thousand Oaks nurse Kellie O’Sullivan was kidnaped and shot to death last fall--the victim of an alleged carjacking that shocked Ventura County.

Andy Lee Anderson of Simi Valley and his dog were killed in March during a morning fishing trip--and another alleged carjacker was charged with the crime.

And this week--in what is becoming a more frequently occurring crime throughout the county--a 53-year-old Camarillo man became the latest Ventura County resident to fall victim to a carjacking.

Although Paul Castriades escaped unharmed, the two men who forced him from his car at knifepoint were killed following a high-speed chase that ended in a head-on collision.

Although carjackings are still rare in Ventura County, law enforcement officials say such crimes are on the rise--the deaths of O’Sullivan and Anderson merely the most dramatic examples of an increasingly violent trend in auto theft.

Marked by violent confrontations and the use of deadly weapons, carjackings were first identified as a growing crime in large cities about three years ago. Gradually, experts say, carjackings have spread to suburban and semirural areas.

“I think it was something that was predictable,” said Ventura County Sheriff’s Lt. Craig Husband, who supervises the major crimes unit. “It’s something the community in concert with law enforcement needs to be aware of.

“Fortunately, from my observations, it is statistically still very low,” he added.

Countywide figures on carjackings are not available, because law enforcement agencies are not required to report the crime to the FBI, which tracks nationwide crime statistics.

Some departments, however, keep their own informal tallies to chart the emergence of the crime in this county.

Police in Oxnard say they have seen about half a dozen in less than a year, including one in September in which a man was smashed in the head with a beer bottle and threatened with a screwdriver.

Oxnard police crime analyst Jane LeMond said most of the city’s carjackings have occurred at intersections. Better car alarms and a heightened awareness of auto theft have made it tougher for thieves to steal parked cars, she said.

“The easiest way to steal a car now is to wait for them to come to an intersection and yank them out,” LeMond said.

Sheriff’s deputies in Thousand Oaks and Moorpark say they have seen more than half a dozen carjackings in those cities over the past two years.

Most recently, a 35-year-old employee of The Oaks mall was walking to her car about 6:30 p.m. when a man approached from behind, jammed a semiautomatic pistol into her side and demanded her keys. After the woman complied, the suspect drove off in her 1985 Chrysler sedan.

And two weeks ago, deputies in Moorpark arrested a man on suspicion of kidnaping another man at knifepoint and beating him with a baseball bat during a carjacking.

According to police, Steven Aguilar, 27, walked up to Carlos Torres, 33, about 10:40 p.m. on June 15 and asked for a ride. When Torres refused, Aguilar held a knife against Torres’ side and ordered him to drive to Simi Valley.

Torres escaped after Aguilar forced him to drive back to Moorpark.

Debbie Ruud, a crime analyst in Simi Valley, said no carjackings have been reported to her department.

“It’s amazing we’ve escaped unscathed,” she said.

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The killings of O’Sullivan and Anderson remain the most high-profile examples of carjackings in Ventura County.

Mark Scott Thornton, 19, has been charged with O’Sullivan’s death. Defense attorneys have filed a motion to have the trial moved out of the county because of pretrial publicity. That motion will be heard July 25.

Andy Lee Anderson, 24, was gunned down in March at a campground in Rose Valley. Timothy Chrestman, 19, of Port Hueneme was charged with the killing by the Ventura County grand jury and awaits trial.

Authorities say Wednesday’s carjacking, which began at a McDonald’s in Camarillo and ended in a deadly crash on Madera Road, shows that the crime can occur anywhere at any time.

The only common denominator seems to be a distraction on the part of drivers.

“People should be aware that when they’re sitting in their car you’re fairly vulnerable, no matter where you are,” said Ronald Quintana, a spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California. “It’s not just high-end cars like a Lexus or Cadillac.”

A study released in March by the U.S. Department of Justice showed that despite the attention paid to carjackings, the crime accounts for only 2% of all car thefts reported annually in the United States.

But the study, based on a national survey of victims, also depicted the violent nature of carjackings. Twenty-four percent of all carjacking victims are injured and weapons are used 77% of the time.

“It’s more than just taking your property,” Quintana said. “It’s a personal assault.

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“That’s why we encourage people to give up their car. Give them $5 for gas, you just don’t want to confront them.”

On Wednesday, 53-year-old Paul Castriades was sipping coffee in his Hertz rental car about 3:25 p.m. when two men walked up and held a serrated steak knife to his throat, police said.

After ordering Castriades out of the maroon Nissan Altima, the men drove off, only to be spotted minutes later speeding over the Conejo Grade on the Ventura Freeway.

The two suspects--identified Thursday as 18-year-old Esteban Agustin Nunez Jr. of Camarillo, and his cousin, 19-year-old Eugene Anthony Nunez of Sylmar--were killed in a head-on collision. The car was going 90 to 100 m.p.h. when the driver lost control, police said. A steak knife believed to have been used in the carjacking was found inside the crushed Nissan.

Lt. Husband said Esteban Nunez was considered a gang member by the Sheriff’s Department.

Police records show that Esteban Nunez was arrested on Feb. 26 along with seven other people on suspicion of illegally entering a vacant home on Potrero Road in Newbury Park.

Inside the property, deputies found markers used to write graffiti on the walls, candles and unopened 40 oz. bottles of beer.

Court records show that Nunez was given three years probation.

Carjacking Safety Tips Here are safety tips to avoid carjackings:

* Pay attention to your surroundings.

* Choose well-lit, well-traveled facilities if you must stop along the road.

* When returning home, be aware of other vehicles and pedestrians. Keep house and driveway well-lit.

* When driving in a potentially risky area, use the lane closest to the center. Leave enough space between cars at a red light to drive around the car ahead if necessary.

* Don’t be distracted by eating, shaving or combing your hair.

* If you do not feel comfortable exiting your vehicle after a minor rear-end accident, drive to a police station or 24-hour store.

* Give up your wallet, purse or car keys if confronted by a person with a weapon.

* Keep your vehicle locked and the windows rolled up.

* Don’t leave your purse or other valuables in view while driving.

* Plan your route in advance.

Source: Automobile Club of Southern California