Roundup: Motorcyclist named, attic fire damages Ventura eatery, more

Here's a roundup of recent incidents from Ventura County agencies:

Man killed in T.O. crash identified

Authorities identified the 27-year-old motorcyclist who died Friday night in a Thousand Oaks crash.

Jake T. Brewer, of Simi Valley, died in the crash with a Tesla around 7:30 p.m., according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause and manner of death are pending, the agency said.

Brewer was reportedly traveling southbound on Erbes Road near the intersection to East Olsen Road when he apparently lost control and slid into oncoming traffic near a two-way left turn lane, according to previous reports.

The initial investigation indicated the motorcyclist may have been speeding when he lost control, Ventura County Sheriff's Senior Deputy Marcos Moreno said previously.

The motorcycle hit a Tesla that had been headed the other way. The initial investigation indicated the motorcycle rider may have been speeding when he lost control, Moreno said.

The rider died at the scene. The Tesla driver cooperated with authorities and wasn't under the influence of drugs or alcohol, he said.

Early morning fire damages restaurant

Ventura city firefighters put out a fire at The Original Pizza Chief restaurant on Ventura’s Main Street early Monday morning.

The fire was reported at 5:56 a.m. at 1612 E. Main St., said Ventura Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Henderson. It was quickly extinguished but still caused significant damage, he said.

“It was a small fire that got into the attic,” he said. Traffic on Main Street in the area was shut down for about 30 minutes.

The cause of the fire is unknown and an investigator was still on scene about 8:45 a.m. Monday.

CHP makes arrest after reports of wrong-way driver

A 22-year-old Ventura man was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly driving the wrong way on Highway 101 between Oxnard and Ventura, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol said officers received calls shortly before 2 a.m. about a driver headed north in southbound lanes starting around Oxnard Boulevard.

A CHP officer saw the vehicle and tried to forcibly stop it. The patrol car clipped the driver's side of the vehicle but it entered the center median and continued north, according to the CHP.

A second driver headed southbound in the fast lane saw the wrong-way driver, swerved to avoid him and went off the highway near Telephone Road, the CHP said. The second driver suffered minor injuries.

Undeterred, the wrong-way driver continued north toward Highway 33 but when he tried to turn through the center median, the car became disabled, the CHP said. Ventura County Sheriff's deputies and other CHP officers also assisted in the incident.

The man was arrested and booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of DUI and driving the wrong way on a freeway causing injury, according to CHP.

The driver has since been released from custody, jail records show. He is slated to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on May 22.

Man arrested after alleged attempt to spray paint officer

Ventura police arrested a 29-year-old Oxnard man early Sunday morning after officers said they spotting him tagging the wall of a thrift shop in the city's downtown, officers said.

The Ventura Police Department said shortly before 12:30 a.m. officers first saw the man spray a security camera to the business before taking the spray paint to the wall. When police confronted the man, he fled and then tried to spray the paint on one of the officer's face, police said.

The officer deflected the spray paint and took the man into custody, authorities said. The officer was not injured.

The man was booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of felony vandalism, felony aggravated assault with a caustic substance and misdemeanor resisting arrest, Ventura police said.

The man was released by Sunday afternoon, jail records show. He is expected to appear in Ventura County Superior Court May 22.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Motorcyclist named, attic fire damages Ventura eatery, more