Thousand Oaks Police Department Reminder to Be Aware of Suspicious Persons

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Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Senior Deputy Tim Lohman of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you would like these updates directly from via email, click here for more information.

The press release at the bottom of this post is an incident that occurred at The Oaks and Janss malls. This incident could have ended tragically for both women, but fortunately the suspect was apprehended, putting an end to his reign of terror.

This is a reminder to all residents be conscious of suspicious persons and to be aware of your surroundings. The following tips are provided to help keep you safe:

Be alert of your surroundings.

Look for vehicles that may have followed you into the parking lot. Make several turns in a parking lot to verify this.

If you believe you are being followed, do not get out of your vehicle. Doors should be locked.

Stay in a well-traveled and well-lit area. Call 9-1-1 from your cell phone or go to a convenience store, service station, etc., and call 9-1-1.

Look for strangers or suspicious persons sitting in vehicles, standing or walking in the parking lot that appear to be watching you.

Park as close to your destination as possible. Do not park near shrubbery, large vehicles, dumpsters, or anything that blocks your view or provides a place for someone to hide.

Remember where you parked so you do not spend a lot of time walking around the parking lot when you are ready to leave.

If the parking lot has area identifiers, take note of that area where you parked.

If it is night, park in a well-lit and well-traveled area. Do not park in an isolated area.

Look around your vehicle before you get out. Pay attention to the surroundings and any suspicious activity. 

Before leaving your vehicle, make sure ALL the doors are locked and that ALL the windows are rolled all the way up.

If possible, wait for other people to walk to your destination with you before you exit your vehicle.

Walking To Your Vehicle

If you are working after dark, try to move your vehicle closer to the building before it gets dark.

If you frequently work at night, consider a security system for your vehicle. Install one with a panic button which will sound either the horn or a siren. Also, consider carrying a whistle, mace or pepper spray.

If you have to work late, notify someone and give them a p

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Ventura County Deputies Seek Public's Help to Identify Suspect Who Robbed Newbury Park Smart & Final Store on March 19th

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A man armed with a handgun robbed the Smart & Final store located at 2222 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks at approximately 8:40PM on March 19, 2013. The suspect approached the cashier clerk, displayed a handgun, and demanded money from the cash register. After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect ran through the parking lot and was last seen leaving the scene in a 1990’s white sedan.


Witnesses described the suspect as a Hispanic male about 35 years old, approximately 5’-11”, weighing approximately 275 lbs, and clean shaven. He was wearing a white or light colored baseball cap, a light colored long sleeve button down shirt, baggy blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.


Anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect is asked to contact Det Mike Ferguson with the East County Major Crimes Unit at (805) 494-8222/ e-mail mike.ferguson@ventura.org.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Thousand Oaks Police Department Says To Be Aware of Coupon Book Scam

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Here is a "City Watch" alert from the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you would like these updates directly from via email, click here for more information.

"The Coupon Book Scam"

A solicitor was selling a coupon book for $80.00 to benefit the local Boys and Girls Club. The female told the victim that if he purchased the book, he would need to go to the local Boys and Girls Club to pick up the coupon book. The victim wrote a check to a company called “La Familia Management Company” and was given a receipt with an address out of Aurora, Illinois.

The victim went to the Boys and Girls Club with his receipt only to find out he had been a victim of a scam.  The Camarillo Boys and Girls Club is not selling coupon books nor have they authorized anyone to sell coupon books on their behalf. 

If you have been a victim of this scam or have any information relating to this scam, please contact the Thousand Oaks Police Department to report the information.

City of T.O. Permit (example)The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to remind citizens that solicitors are required to have valid solicitor permits in their possession, and to ask the solicitor to see their permit which is issued by the city of Thousand Oaks. The Thousand Oaks regulatory permit is shown to the right as an example.

If the solicitor cannot provide the permit or you are not sure if the permit is authentic please contact The Thousand Oaks Finance Division at (805) 449-2201 between the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.  If the solicitor is acting in a suspicious manner or you are unable to verify the permit through the city, please call our dispatch center at 805-654-9511 to have a deputy respond and investigate.

Thousand Oaks Police Department Warns Residents of Increased Residential Burglaries

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Update from TOPD 2/18/13 regarding residential burglary arrests in Thousand Oaks

On 02-18-13 at approximately 4:50 AM, the Thousand Oaks Police Department responded to a call of a burglary in progress in the 700 block of Capitan Street.  The call was initiated after a resident discovered a male suspect wearing all black clothing inside his house.  Deputies quickly arrived on scene and began searching the area for the suspect.

Deputies saw a person matching the suspect’s description riding a bicycle in the neighborhood and stopped him.  They identified this person as Arturo Fuentes, age 20, from Oxnard.  After conducting an investigation, there was cause to believe Fuentes was responsible for entering the victim’s house, stealing property, and then fleeing after being discovered.  It was also later determined that the bicycle Fuentes was riding was stolen from a resident on Cypress Street.

Later in the morning, two additional residential burglaries and two stolen vehicles were reported to the Thousand Oaks Police Department.  These incidents all occurred within a short distance of Capitan Street.  An alert officer with the Oxnard Police Department spotted one of these stolen vehicles in his jurisdiction.  He detained a male subject, who was identified as Guillermo Garcia (age 22), exiting the driver side of the vehicle.  Garcia was in possession of stolen property from one of the other residential burglaries on Birch Hill Street in Newbury Park.  He was arrested for theft of a vehicle and residential burglary. 

Fuentes and Garcia are both in custody in the Ventura County Jail pending their arraignments in Superior Court.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to remind residents that there have been increases in residential burglaries throughout the city and to stay alert of suspicious activity.  We encourage all citizens to report suspicious activity immediately by calling (805) 654-9511 or “911” in an emergency.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for these crimes.  The caller may remain anonymous.  The call is not recorded.  Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Original post from 2/12/13 below:

The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to warn the residents of an increase in residential burglaries.  In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in burglaries in the area of Erbes Road, between Sunset Hills Road and Avenida De Los Arboles.

The burglaries are being committed during day and evening hours.  The thieves are using unlocked doors to enter the residences. The items being targeted are jewelry and electronics.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department is recommending residents keep valuables in a safe place and document serial numbers. We would also like to remind residents to keep their doors locked especially when they are not home.

We urge residents to report suspicious activity in their neighborh

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East Ventura County Sheriff Watch Update - January 2013

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Here is the latest "East County Sheriff Watch" alert from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. This program is designed to target unincorporated neighborhoods in the area, such as Oak Park, Bell Canyon, Lynn Ranch, Casa Conejo and Lake Sherwood. If you would like these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

The following is a summary of recent crimes in the unincorporated areas surrounding Thousand Oaks.

Oak Park

5100 block of Churchwood Drive – Grand Theft from Residence

01-11-13 – Suspect(s), known to the victim, stole items from the victim’s residence.

6500 block of Maplegrove Street – Vehicle Vandalism

01-13-13 – Suspect(s) shattered the victim’s rear vehicle window with a small projectile consistent with a pellet gun.

200 block of Valero Circle – Theft from Residence

01-22-13 – Suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked residence and took items belonging to the victim.

300 block of Medea Creek Lane – Solicitors

01-24-13 – Two suspicious subjects were contacted in the area and identified as solicitors without the required paperwork necessary to solicit.  Subjects had been previously warned and were issued a citation for the violation during this contact.

5801 Conifer Street – Burglary from Structure

01-25-13 – Suspect(s) forced entry in

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Reminder About Super Bowl Parties From Thousand Oaks Police Department

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Be the MVP of Safe and Responsible Driving on Super Bowl Sunday

Driving Drunk Is a No-Win Situation

As one of America’s most anticipated and celebrated sporting events, the Super Bowl brings together families, friends and fans each year to enjoy the excitement of the big game. In many instances, fans will gather to watch the game at sports bars, restaurants or Super Bowl-themed parties. The California Office of Traffic Safety, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Football League and TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management), have joined forces with law enforcement in the Avoid the 14 -Ventura County DUI Task Force to spread an important safety message to the public about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday – Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Before choosing to drink, choose a sober designated driver.  Avoid the unsportsmanlike conduct of driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home. Drunk driving is always preventable, and driving drunk could result in seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else. Motorists can expect Police, Sheriff and CHP to have a visible presence and to stop anyone who makes the dangerous decision to drink and drive.”

The Thousand Oaks Police Department is partnering with the Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force and will be deploying a DUI specific patrol car on Sunday, February 3rd within the city, from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm. The Deputy assigned to this car will be looking to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.  This patrol car is in addition to regularly scheduled patrol officers, all looking for the tell-tale signs of an intoxicated driver behind the wheel.

In California, 774 people were killed in DUI crashes, with over 24,000 injured. These drunk-driving fatalities accounted for 29 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatal

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Robbery During Business Hours at Newbury Park Check Cashing Business on Jan 10th

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Thousand Oaks - Man Climbs Through Roof and Robs Check Cashing Business

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, on Thursday, January 10th at about 9 a.m., a robbery occurred at Conejo Check Cashing, located at 2454 W. Hillcrest Drive in Newbury Park in the Hillcrest Plaza. The suspect forced his way through the roof of the location, which dropped him into a secured area of the business.

The robbery occurred during business hours while the clerk was helping customers. The suspect confronted the clerk and demanded money from the business. The suspect fled the area with an undisclosed amount of money.

The clerk was able to escape during the robbery and was not seriously injured.

Thousand Oaks Police detectives are asking anyone with information about the crime to contact Detective Todd Welty at (805) 494-8224.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Introduces Free iPhone App

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Originally posted 11/21/12. Late December update: Now an Android app is available too!

In the ongoing effort to keep the community informed by reaching out through a variety of channels, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has developed an iPhone app that is available to the public at no charge.

The app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store by searching one of the following key words: VCSO, VCSD, Ventura, or Sheriff.

The app allows users to access crime maps showing the locations of various offenses, locate information about inmates currently in custody, read press releases, and learn about current patrol events. In addition, there is information about the history of the Sheriff’s Office and a directory of phone numbers and locations of Sheriff’s substations. 

The app also features a link to Ventura County Crimestoppers so the public can be aware of those people in the community who are wanted on outstanding warrants.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to providing the public with convenient access to our services. With the number of smart phones steadily increasing, giving people an easy way to learn about what we are doing in the community is important.

The Sheriff’s Office is also working on a version that will be compatible with Android devices.

Visit the Ventura County Sheriff's Office website at www.VCSD.org for more information.