Roundup: Fatal crash near Oxnard, Ventura High campus arrest, more local news

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

Fatal crash on Rice Avenue

OXNARD – A single-car crash on Rice Avenue near Oxnard turned fatal Thursday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The accident took place around 4 p.m. at Rice and Channel Islands Boulevard, just east of Oxnard city limits.

A 67-year-old Santa Monica man, Paul David Leal, had been driving a 1991 Honda Civic southbound on Rice at the time, according to the CHP. No one else was in the car.

As Leal approached the intersection, he lost control of the car and hit a metal pole at the southwest corner of the crossing, authorities said. The Honda continued off the roadway and struck another pole before stopping in a grassy area.

Leal, who had been wearing a seatbelt, was pulled from the Honda by Oxnard Fire Department crews. He taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center where he died from his injuries, CHP officials said. Traffic investigators don't yet know whether drugs or alcohol were a factor, the agency said, or what caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

The accident remains under investigation by the CHP's Ventura office. Any witnesses are asked to call Office Steve Lutzke at 805-662-2640.

Witnesses sought in shooting incident

OXNARD – Patrol officers who heard gunfire Thursday night found a man nearby in critical condition, the Oxnard Police Department reported.

Shortly after 8 p.m., officers heard several shots fired while they were in the vicinity of Ventura Road and Hill Street, south of Wooley Road.

They searched the area and found a 33-year-old man on the frontage road that runs along the west side of Ventura Road. The victim, whose city of residence wasn't immediately available, had a life-threatening gunshot wound and was taken by ambulance to a hospital in critical condition. He remained hospitalized Friday, a police official said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 805-385-7600.

You can also submit information through the police department's website at oxnardpd.org by clicking on the "report suspicious activity" link. Tips can be submitted anonymously at venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

Felony luring charges in high school campus case

VENTURA – A 29-year-old Ventura man has been charged with two felonies in a sex-related case involving his presence at Ventura High School, authorities said.

The man, who had reportedly been on the campus several times without authorization, was arrested Wednesday, the Ventura Police Department reported. Police officials worked with the Ventura Unified School District on the case.

The man was first contacted by school staff on Nov. 16. Authorities told him he was on campus illegally and should not return while school was in session, according to the police account.

He allegedly returned twice on Nov. 23, initially fleeing before police arrived, then getting arrested later that day by school resource officers on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing as he spoke with students.

On Wednesday, he reportedly returned to the high school campus and was seen by staff having "inappropriate" conversations with students, according to police. He fled before officers arrived, but an investigation by the police department's special victims unit led to his arrest later that day.

He has since been charged by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office with a felony count of luring and a felony count of arranging a meeting place for the purpose of exposing, Ventura County Superior Court records show. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of being a disruptive presence at school.

An arraignment hearing Friday afternoon, during which the defendant appeared with his attorney, was continued to Wednesday with no plea entered, court records show. The defendant was returned to custody in county jail with bail set at $500,000.

More local news: Ventura County reports first COVID infection with omicron variant

Police drive stabbing victim to hospital

VENTURA – A woman who was stabbed multiple times by a relative Wednesday night in Ventura was rushed to the hospital in a patrol car, police officials said.

Shortly before 7 p.m., a 911 caller reported a disturbance at a residence in the 3700 block of Dean Drive, the Ventura Police Department reported. Responding officers found a woman in her 20s with multiple stab wounds and provided first aid. Because of the severity of her injuries, she was immediately taken to nearby Ventura County Medical Center in a patrol vehicle, officials said. She was later said to be in stable condition at the hospital.

A 24-year-old man was arrested after a brief standoff. Investigators learned the victim and suspect were relatives who had gotten into an argument that precipitated the stabbing. Family members had called 911. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and remained in Ventura County jail on Friday in lieu of $70,000 bail.

Parking lot stabbing suspect arrested

VENTURA – Ventura detectives arrested a suspect on suspicion of attempted murder this week in connection with a stabbing last month in a downtown parking structure.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Nov. 18, when the Ventura Police Department received a call around 12:45 a.m. about a man screaming for help at the corner of California Street and Thompson Boulevard. The victim, who had been stabbed once in the throat, was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center where he had emergency surgery for what was described as a life-threatening injury. He has since recovered, authorities said.

Investigators learned the stabbing took place in the parking structure on Santa Clara Street after the victim and suspect were involved in an altercation that culminated in the stabbing. The victim had run for help and the suspect had fled the scene.

After a lengthy search for witnesses, video and physical evidence, detectives identified the suspect as a 30-year-old Ventura man. He was booked into Ventura County jail on Tuesday and has since pleaded not guilty to a single count of attempted murder, court records show. He remained in jail on Friday with bail set at $500,000.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Fatal crash near Oxnard, Ventura High campus arrest, more