Latino Man Found Fatally Stabbed in Moorpark’s 1st Homicide of Year

A 54-year-old man was stabbed to death early Tuesday in a quiet Moorpark neighborhood, making it that city’s first homicide this year, authorities said.

According to Ventura County sheriff’s deputies, the body of a Latino man was found dead from multiple stab wounds in the guest bathroom of a house on the 6000 block of Pecan Avenue.

The victim apparently lived with two other adults in the house, including the owner, Laurette Zabriskie, deputies said.

The victim, whose name was not released Tuesday night pending notification of his relatives, was discovered about 11 a.m. by Zabriskie, who rented a room to the man.

There were at least three people in the single-story stucco house at the time of the killing, said Sgt. Will Howe. The investigation was continuing.

Residents in the well-kept neighborhood, located less than a quarter-mile north of Moorpark College, expressed shock about the homicide.

“Moorpark is supposedly one of the safest areas in the county to live in and there was nothing in the area to indicate there were ever any problems,” said Larry Silvia, a nearby resident. “We are just perplexed as to why it happened.”

Some residents said they were concerned that the slaying was related to either a burglary or gangs, but investigators dismissed such fears.

“This is not a burglary at all. There were no signs or indication of forced entrance,” Howe said. “It would be fair to say that they [the victim and suspect] knew each other.”