Holiday Cease-Fire Sought on Oxnard Streets

Calling for an end to the violence, Oxnard leaders and families of recent shooting victims have started an effort they hope will lead to talking, not shooting, among rival gangs.

The first examples will come Thursday when at least 20 Oxnard residents, among them city, church and police officials as well as longtime community activists, meet at 10 a.m. at Plaza Park to call for a gang truce and for peace over the holidays.

William “Blinky” Rodriguez, a San Fernando Valley gang expert summoned by Oxnard leaders, said the group should act fast to get beyond the news conferences and start meeting the gang members. Otherwise, the latest effort will fail.

“It’s realistic as long as they are open, but they can’t expect it to happen overnight,” said Rodriguez, the executive director of the Valley-based Communities in School. “Oxnard is going to have to once again think outside of the box and meet people where they are at, not where they ought to be.”

One member of the citizens group, who did not want to be identified, agreed. “It has to hit you in the eyes before someone does something. There are people out there who are interested in doing something, but the problem has been: Who is going to facilitate this?”

Group members said their long-term goal is to bring in local gang leaders for talks about how best to settle differences without gunfire.

Plans for the Thursday morning meeting come after the first peaceful weekend in Oxnard after a particularly violent November. Between Nov. 10 and Nov. 18, six people were shot on streets in and around Oxnard, and one youth was killed.

On Nov. 27, Ray Caballero of Oxnard was shot to death in his La Colonia neighborhood as he drove home from visiting a friend. Police are still searching for a suspect in that shooting, which they don’t consider gang-related.

The shootings led the City Council to press Police Chief Art Lopez on his strategy to stop the violence. He laid out his plans for council members at a Nov. 21 meeting.

Lopez now briefs the council each week during their meeting on police business.

Over recent weeks, Lopez has met with community activists and others in Oxnard to pull together a group to address the shootings.

“We’re hoping this will have a lasting impact on the gang problem, and we’re hoping they will stop shooting,” Lopez said. “What we’re trying to do is get the attention of the individuals who are potential suspects.”

Ofelia Ramirez, whose son Felipe was shot and killed in front of his Cedar Court apartment complex in November, said she’ll be at the Thursday news conference to send a message to other mothers.

“I’m just thinking that I want to tell parents that they need to take care of your sons and keep them out of trouble,” she said. “This will help people that haven’t taught their kids what is good and bad.”

Oxnard detectives said Felipe Ramirez, a peer counselor, was affiliated with a street gang that frequents nearby Durley Park. He was not considered an active gang member.

Lopez said in the weeks since the shootings began, increased police patrols have ended the shootings, at least for now.

“Anything can blow up, but the violence has stopped,” Lopez said. “What we’re hearing from our intelligence is that things are really hot out there, and the Police Department” is making a difference.

Sgt. Jim Seitz, who heads the department’s major crimes unit, was equally cautious. “I’ve been doing this long enough to know things can change overnight,” he said.