3 Women, 6 Men Are Held on Sex Charges
After a two-day undercover operation, Ventura police officers arrested three women and six men on suspicion of soliciting sex, authorities said.
According to police reports, officers on Wednesday arrested Theresa J. Armijo, 42, of Ventura; Ellie Jo Deruchie, 34, and Patrice D. Lyghts, 36, of Oxnard on suspicion of prostitution after they allegedly solicited an undercover male officer between the 700 and 1600 blocks of Thompson Boulevard in Ventura.
Police also arrested Steve R. Hillderbrand, 40, of Oxnard; Joseph J. Gurskis, 49, of Moorpark; Dominic L. Wright, 31, of Santa Paula; William E. Warner, 50, of Santa Barbara; Bob L. Laroche, 46, of Ventura and Rodrigo R. Ramos, 20, of Oxnard on Thursday on suspicion of soliciting sex after they allegedly propositioned an undercover female officer.
The undercover sting operation, which included 16 officers, combined the forces of the Ventura Police Department and the special investigations unit of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Sgt. Ken Corney, the Police Department occasionally runs sweeps to crack down on prostitution on Ventura streets.
Corney said that while prostitution remains a problem in the city, he would not label it endemic.
“It’s more of an annoyance than anything else,” he said, adding that the department received numerous complaints from business owners, residents and pedestrians along Thompson Boulevard before running the operation.
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