Oxnard Man Sought in Virginia Crimes

A parolee being sought in a rash of armed robberies, an attempted murder and a kidnapping in Ventura County is also wanted for allegedly raping an Oxnard woman and beating a pregnant motel clerk in Virginia, police said.

The cops cut loose with more details on John David Barnett, a 37-year-old convicted robber with “Mom” tattooed on his neck, because they believe he will strike again and leads on his whereabouts have run dry.

“He’s a danger to citizens,” said Oxnard Police Det. Mike Palmieri. “He’s made threats about having a shootout with police. He does not want to be arrested. He’s ready to die for it and he’s ready to kill for it.”

Detectives believe that after the local crime spree in mid-December, Barnett and his cousin, 28-year-old Isaac Kingsby, stole a car in Oxnard and fled to Las Vegas.

From there, the pair drove to Tennessee, where they were chased by cops who tried to stop them for speeding. They eluded arrest and abandoned the car before hopping on a bus bound for Virginia, police say.

Barnett and Kingsby stayed with relatives in the Newport News area but soon parted ways. Kingsby, who was being sought on a probation violation, was jailed in Virginia after being pulled over while driving alone.

Barnett’s last known move was Dec. 28, when he allegedly assaulted the motel clerk and stole the keys to her car. The vehicle was found abandoned in Virginia.

Police have a hunch that Barnett, an Oxnard resident, could come home.

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Keep this one in mind if you’re thinking about cutting corners on tax forms this year.

A Simi Valley couple face up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to underreporting their business revenue by approximately $300,000, federal authorities said.

Dong Chol Kim, 59, and his wife, Myung Sook, 46, made the money at their women’s clothing stores in Simi Valley and Saugus called Kim’s Fashion and The Expression.

Authorities said the couple understated their earnings on tax forms filed in 1992 and 1993. They claimed total gross receipts of about $2.3 million for both years when the amount was closer to $2.6 million.

Myung Sook entered her plea last month and her husband pleaded in October.

They have repaid the feds more than $44,000 in back taxes and are scheduled to be sentenced April 3.

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Authorities in Thousand Oaks recently busted a guy for allegedly selling marijuana to adults and a teenager outside a grocery store.

Sheriff’s bike patrol deputies learned that an employee of a recycling business in a local shopping center was dealing drugs on the job.

During a surveillance, the cops watched 21-year-old Alex Popovic sell small plastic bags of pot to several adults and a 13-year-old boy, said Senior Deputy Don Aguilar.

Popovic, who is on probation for burglary, was booked on suspicion of selling marijuana and sales to a minor. A small quantity of pot was found at his house along with drug packaging materials, Aguilar said.

The shopping center is adjacent to a walking path that is heavily traveled by young children, the deputy said.

But, Aguilar said, “quite frankly, we were surprised to see a 13-year-old buying.”

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Speaking of dopey moves . . .

A 17-year-old Simi Valley boy was arrested recently after he took a hit off a marijuana pipe in front of a cop driving a DARE drug-education van.

The Apollo High School student was in the back seat of a car that was headed toward campus when he inhaled in plain view of Simi Valley Police Officer Michelle Bertsch, she said.

“I was stopped at the light and they were going through the intersection,” she said. “I mean honestly, the DARE van kind of sticks out.”

The van is white and has giant red letters on the side that say DARE. It’s covered with Drug Abuse Resistance Education stickers, a mug of DARE mascot “Daren the Lion,” and there is a police light bar on top.

Bertsch pulled the car over and arrested the teen for possessing drug paraphernalia. The driver and another rider were detained and released.

Holly J. Wolcott can be reached at 653-7581 or at holly.wolcott@latimes.com