5th Suspect in Fatal Crime Spree Held, 1 Youth Released

A fifth suspect in a deadly crime spree was arrested Tuesday, while another youth riding in the car with the Camarillo gang members that night was released from jail for lack of evidence.

Ventura County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 17-year-old youth in Camarillo and booked him into juvenile hall on suspicion of murder and robbery in the violent rampage that started Sunday morning with angry words at a Camarillo Taco Bell and ended in the random shooting death of a Moorpark man sitting in his car at a stoplight.

Four other suspects, all of them from Camarillo, were rounded up Sunday morning.

Two of them appeared in court Tuesday facing criminal charges. A third, Cesar P. Aldana,18, was freed when prosecutors declined to proceed with the case against him.

“Obviously, we did not feel that we had sufficient evidence to charge him with any crimes,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Roger Inman said. “But the investigation is continuing.”

Prosecutors brought formal charges against Michael C. Castro, 20, accusing him of robbery and murder in connection with the random killing of 25-year-old Jesus Zamudio Manjarrez. Castro did not enter a plea and had his arraignment delayed until Dec. 19. Prosecutors allege that Castro used a firearm in the crimes, and he faces a life sentence if convicted of all charges.

Also Tuesday, Arturo Contreras Jr., 18, pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery and shooting into an occupied dwelling. The short, stocky teenager with closely cropped brown hair stood in the jury box when he entered his plea.

Contreras was ordered back to court for a preliminary hearing Dec. 15, at which time prosecutors must produce enough evidence to convince a judge that the teenager should stand trial. He faces 10 years in prison if convicted of both charges.

Another suspect--a 17-year-old boy--awaits a hearing today to determine whether he should stand trial as an adult on a robbery charge, Inman said. The juvenile’s name has not been released.

The youths, who police say are members of the Barry Street Gang, are accused of participating in a one-hour crime spree that stretched from Camarillo to Somis to Moorpark, where investigators said Castro randomly gunned down Manjarrez.

Police also suspect them of robbing a Somis grocery store and shooting into the house of a rival Camarillo gang member.

Both Castro and Contreras have criminal records and were on probation.

Castro was convicted of drug possession and given probation earlier this year while Contreras was recently released from Ventura County Jail after serving a 180-day sentence for his role in a purse snatching in June. He was also convicted of getting into a fight in front of a Barry Street house earlier this year.

In September, Deputy Dist. Atty. Donna K. Gissing had unsuccessfully urged a judge to send Contreras to prison for the purse snatching. Instead, Contreras was placed on probation and ordered not to have any contact with Barry Street Gang members or dress in any gang apparel.

Gissing was sitting in Municipal Judge Thomas Hutchin’s courtroom when Contreras entered his plea Tuesday.

“I looked right at him and shook my head,” she said. “I argued to send him to prison because it was obvious that he was invested in gang behavior.”