Police Arrest 8 Suspected Gang Members

A predawn probation sweep Wednesday resulted in the arrests of eight suspected Oxnard gang members on a variety of offenses, including weapons violations, possession of gang paraphernalia and allegedly making a terrorist threat, authorities said.

Starting at 6 a.m., officers from the county probation agency and the Oxnard and Port Hueneme police departments, Ventura County sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents raided 23 homes in Oxnard, Port Hueneme and El Rio, looking for 25 suspected gang members who are on probation, said Oxnard Police Department Major Crimes Sgt. Lee Wilcox.

They found 15 people and arrested eight males--five adults and three juveniles. All were taken to juvenile hall or cited and released.

The sweeps are periodically performed to ensure that probationers abide by their probation terms, Wilcox said.

“We try to identify the most active gang members and let them know we know where they are,” Wilcox said.

There are currently up to 10 known gangs in Oxnard, Wilcox said. With three unsolved gang-related homicides in the city, police hope the sweeps result in information that could solve the crimes.

Arrested were Frederico Ruvalcaba, 18, on suspicion of violating his probation by possessing gang paraphernalia; Tishi Angel Mata, 20, on suspicion of possessing a deadly weapon and probation violations; Vincent Edward Saucedo, 22, on an outstanding warrant and suspicion of violating his probation; Luis Andrade Rodriguez, 20, on suspicion of violating probation; and Eric Nash, 23, on suspicion of making threats relating to an ongoing investigation.

Police did not identify the juveniles because of their age.