OXNARD : Guns Seized, 4 Arrested in Series of Raids

Early morning police raids in Oxnard, El Rio and Nyeland Acres netted four arrests and a cache of guns and ammunition that police suspect may be linked to recent gang-related shootings in Oxnard.

As with similar raids in the past, Wednesday’s operation was conducted by a task force of Ventura County agencies. In all, 85 authorities from the Oxnard and Ventura police departments, the Sheriff’s Department, the district attorney’s office and the probation department swept through 13 homes simultaneously at 6 a.m.

Oxnard Sgt. Charles Hookstra, whose gang-suppression unit organized the raid, declared the operation a success because of the amount of contraband seized. The cooperation among police agencies, he said, should send a message to gang members that violence won’t be tolerated.

“I think it goes a long way when we show up at the door and they see both these uniforms,” he said, referring to teams of Oxnard officers and sheriff’s deputies who entered homes in El Rio.

The weapons confiscated included a semiautomatic 9-millimeter Uzi, a sawed-off .20-gauge shotgun, a .45-caliber revolver, a crossbow, two hunting knives and a hatchet. The .45-caliber had been reported stolen in Long Beach.

In a shed behind one of the homes, officers also found a small plastic case containing about two ounces of cocaine, a portable scale and cutting powder typically mixed with cocaine when it is sold. A beeper and $550 in cash were seized at the same home.

Eduardo Garcia, 22, and Gerardo Carillo, 18, were arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal weapons. Carillo was also booked into County Jail on suspicion of possessing cocaine for sale. Anna Ambriz, 19, and Dominic Reyes, 18, were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of a narcotic.

Garcia was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail. Carillo’s bail was set at $50,000 and Abriz’s at $5,000. No further information was available on Reyes.

The raids were prompted in part by two shootings Nov. 30 that left two men wounded in Oxnard. Members of an El Rio gang are suspected in both incidents.