Police Seek 2 After Fight Leaves 1 Man Dead, 1 Hurt

Police on Monday were seeking two men who stabbed to death a 35-year-old Ventura man in a weekend street fight and seriously injured a second man who tried to intervene--the son of a former Ventura councilwoman.

James William Dempsey died shortly after the fight, which broke out about 8 p.m. Sunday in the street near Seaward Avenue and Pierpont Boulevard. Police, still trying to piece together the details Monday, had not identified any suspects or released a description of Dempsey’s attackers.

Dempsey got into an argument with the men while walking to a liquor store for cigarettes, said Ventura Police Lt. Don Arth.

The second victim, Nicholas Measures, 40, is the son of former Deputy Mayor Rosa Lee Measures and a longtime acquaintance of Dempsey’s. He was standing some distance down Seaward when he saw the fight and ran to help.

Both men were stabbed several times. They managed to run from the scene, but collapsed a short distance away.

Dempsey, also known by the last name Kitchens, was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

Measures was taken to Community Memorial Hospital, where he underwent abdominal surgery. Police described his condition as guarded.

Police are asking anyone with relevant information to call 339-4482 or 339-4470.

Measures, a Ventura construction worker, had known Dempsey since high school, Measures’ mother said.

“I’m proud of him, that he would do that to help a friend, or anyone in jeopardy,” Rosa Lee Measures said. “He was at the right place to try to help, and he became a victim himself. Most people would have turned and walked away. But that’s just the kind of person he is.”

She said that Dempsey, also a construction worker, suffered from a substance addiction at one time, but that she did not know him well.

“He made several attempts to clean up his life. We haven’t seen him in three to five years,” she said.

Late Monday afternoon, just back from visiting her son at the hospital, Measures said she thought he would recover. He was conscious after surgery to remove part of his intestine, she said.

Nicholas Measures was on the way back from dinner with his girlfriend at Tony’s restaurant on Thompson Boulevard when he spotted his friend, his mother said.

Rosa Lee Measures said her son could not see his assailants, but he believed there were two people.

Nicholas Measures’ girlfriend, who was still shaken and asked not to be identified, said she was sitting in the car and could not see much of the fight. As she started to get out of the car, Dempsey struggled up to her, mortally wounded.

“I was going to go into the bar,” she said. “Jim walked over and told me to call 911. He said he had been stabbed.”

She said she went in, called for help, and when she walked back out of the bar she saw that Nicholas Measures had been stabbed as well. She went back in and called for another ambulance.

Rosa Lee Measures said her son owes his life to the officers and paramedics who raced to his rescue. “They saved his life,” she said.

Residents and employees of businesses in the area were reluctant to speak publicly, but all said the beach-side area has had problems with drug-dealing and gang members in recent years. One woman said she is concerned that the problems hurt business.

“It doesn’t exactly make people want to stop and shop,” she said.

Arth said neither Measures nor Dempsey was known to be a gang member or associate. The motive for the fight was unknown.