WESTLAKE : Father Locked in Car as Home Ransacked

Two unidentified people ransacked a Westlake residence Thursday, locking the homeowner in the trunk of his car and blindfolding and battering his 16-year-old son, authorities said.

As the son approached his home in the 1200 block of Falling Star Avenue at noon, he heard banging noises from the garage, Ventura County sheriff’s deputies reported. As the youth entered the garage he was approached by a male, who ordered the teen-ager at gunpoint into the house, demanding to know where the jewelry and money were kept, deputies said.

The youngster, bound and blindfolded, was taken to an upstairs office while the two intruders ransacked the house, authorities said.

After the pair left, the youth manage to free himself and found his father locked in the trunk of his car, After calling the Sheriff’s Department, both victims were taken to Westlake Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, authorities said.

Later, the father told police that a man posing as a deliveryman had approached him with a weapon. A struggle ensued and he was forced into the trunk of his vehicle, according to reports. An investigation is continuing.