Police Arrest 8 in Beating Death of Ventura Man

Eight members and associates of a west Ventura gang have been arrested on suspicion of killing an 18-year-old man by beating him with a bat and shovel and stabbing him during a fight over a loud party in September, authorities said Tuesday.

The suspects were taken into custody Monday and Tuesday after a team of officers from several law enforcement agencies served search warrants at 11 homes in Ventura, authorities said.

Seven adults, including a married couple, were jailed on $500,000 bail, and a 14-year-old boy was being held without bail at Juvenile Hall.

Authorities will not say who they believe inflicted the fatal blows to William Scott Zara on Sept. 25, but detectives plan to ask prosecutors to charge all of the suspects with the killing.

“Everybody’s actions led to his death. This couldn’t have happened without their involvement. All of these people are responsible and will be held accountable,” said Ventura Police Lt. Gary McCaskill.

Zara’s father, Sam Zara of Ojai, said Tuesday that he is haunted by the image of his son thrashing frantically while people held him to the ground so others could kick, beat and stab him to death.

“I try to hold together in my mind how proud I was of him,” said Zara. “But sometimes all I can see is how brutally he was killed. It was brutal.”

William Zara, who worked part time at the Ventura Theater, was attacked by a group of neighbors in front of his small apartment off Ventura Avenue, authorities said.

Police believe an angry mob of people at a party across the street came after Zara because they believed he had called authorities to complain about noise. Police said Zara had not called them.

McCaskill said that before Zara was attacked, officers had come to the home of Frank and Rosana Olvera to respond to a complaint about noise. When they arrived, officers saw several people at the home but issued no citations.

“They tell us they’re not having a party but that it might be the victim,” McCaskill said. Officers also went to Zara’s home but did not find any problems, the lieutenant added.

When the officers left about 10 p.m., Rosana Olvera went to Zara’s home and accused him of calling the police, authorities said.

She then asked several gang members to join her in front of Zara’s home, authorities said.

Zara was struck on the head with his own baseball bat and beaten with a shovel that had been taken away from one Zara’s neighbors who was trying to defend Zara.

Zara was also stabbed several times with a knife and punched and kicked repeatedly, authorities said. He died the next day of head injuries, according to the coroner’s office.

In all, McCaskill said, six of Zara’s neighbors were beaten while trying to defend him.

Police found a bat and a bloody shovel at the scene but have not found a knife. Immediately after the attack, Frank Olvera, 33, and gang member Terry Schell, 22, were arrested. They were later released for a lack of evidence but were rearrested Monday.

Also arrested were Rosana Olvera, 36; Dagoberta Davila, 23; Chris Gonzales, 22; Mario Jaquez, 19; and David Silva, 24, all of Ventura. The name of the 14-year-old boy was not released.

Prosecutors were expected to decide today or Thursday what charges to file. They will consider filing murder charges against all the suspects, they said.

Under state law, a gang member who aides in or encourages a felony committed by a fellow gang member can be charged with the same felony, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Bill Haney.

Times staff writer Tina Dirmann contributed to this story.