Roundup: Driver hits cop car at accident scene, 30 pounds of meth seized, more county news
Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:
Alleged DUI driver hits patrol vehicle
THOUSAND OAKS — A driver was arrested after reportedly hitting a deputy's patrol vehicle at an accident scene in Thousand Oaks Friday night.
The incident took place shortly before 9 p.m. near the intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and South Marmon Avenue, said Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Trina Newman. The sheriff's office is contracted to provide police services in Thousand Oaks.
The marked police vehicle had been parked in the roadway to provide traffic control for an unrelated accident when the driver, a man in his late 20s, struck the patrol unit, Newman said. No deputies were in the vehicle at the time.
No injuries were reported.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, Newman said. The estimated monetary damage to the patrol car wasn't immediately available.
Meth seized in Fillmore investigation
FILLMORE — Authorities seized more than $400,000 worth of methamphetamine during warrant searches connected to a Fillmore man this month.
Ventura County Sheriff's detectives had been investigating the 53-year-old for suspected illegal drug sales, including distributing bulk quantities of meth to street-level dealers, the agency said. Police services in Fillmore are contracted through the sheriff's office.
On July 8, detectives executed search warrants at the man's Fillmore residence in the 700 block of Fourth Street and at a Santa Paula storage unit and wood shop in the 700 block of Santa Maria Street.
About 30 pounds of meth with an estimated street value of $408,600 were seized. Detectives also found more than 300 grams of marijuana and thousands of dollars in cash, according to the sheriff's office.
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The man was arrested on suspicion of having drugs for sale and booked into Ventura County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, officials said. He has since been released on a bail bond.
A second man at the wood shop, a 61-year-old Fillmore resident, was cited and released on a suspected misdemeanor possession violation after allegedly being found with meth during the search.
Highway 101 lane closures
VENTURA COUNTY — A stretch of southbound Highway 101 south of La Conchita will be reduced to a single lane overnight in coming weeks as a major construction project continues.
On Wednesday through Friday nights starting July 20, just one southbound lane will be open from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., from around Mussel Shoals to Faria Beach, according to Caltrans.
The closure will repeat the following Wednesday through Friday nights starting July 27.
The work will also close southbound onramps and offramps at the Seacliff interchange starting at 7 p.m. those nights.
Southbound motorists should expect delays and high-intensity lights, the agency said. Two northbound lanes will remain open through the construction corridor.
The work is part of a $48 million pavement rehabilitation project on a 4.3 mile segment north of Ventura.
Farm labor contractor sentenced in insurance fraud case
VENTURA COUNTY — A Fillmore man who owns and operates two farm labor companies was sentenced to felony probation and jail time last week in a workers' compensation fraud case, prosecutors said.
Robert Zermeno Delara, 50, was sentenced Tuesday in Ventura County Superior Court to 24 months probation and 90 days jail time for multiple counts of fraud, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Delara pleaded guilty in March to felony workers' comp fraud and admitted a special allegation the theft totaled more than $100,000. He owns Pacific Coast Farm Labor and B&R Farm Labor, which provide workers for local agriculture operations.
As part of the plea deal, Delara admitted he had discouraged injured workers from getting medical care they were entitled to, prosecutors said. He also admitted he made material misrepresentations about job-related injuries to insurance carriers to keep premiums low.
He had been charged in November 2020 for violations that took place between May 2013 and July 2018, court records show.
The DA's workers comp fraud unit previously seized more than $1 million from Delara's bank accounts and assets. The assets will be liquidated to pay restitution and fines as part of the sentence, authorities said.
A restitution hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.
Fleeing driver reportedly hit wall
SIMI VALLEY — A driver reportedly crashed into the decorative wall of an apartment complex in Simi Valley while trying to elude police Friday night.
Simi Valley Police Department officers launched a brief pursuit of a 61-year-old driver that started around 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of Patricia Avenue and Erringer Road.
During the pursuit, the Simi Valley man allegedly hit the wall at the entrance to the River Ranch apartments in the 1500 block of Patricia Avenue. Officers caught him after he tried fleeing from his vehicle, authorities said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading and resisting, officials said.
Items may be updated if more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Alleged DUI driver hits police car, 30 pounds of meth seized, more news
