Roundup: Fire and heavy smoke damage Simi Valley home, more news
Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:
Fire, smoke damage home
A residential fire in Simi Valley sent up a large plume of smoke and damaged a home late Thursday morning.
The fire was reported shortly after 11 a.m. in the 3600 block of Valencia Avenue, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The block is in a neighborhood generally south of Alamo Street and east of Sequoia Avenue.
One person, reportedly the homeowner, was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution, said county fire Capt. Brian McGrath. The person had been outside when firefighters arrived and was evaluated for possible smoke inhalation.
As firefighters responded to the scene, they could see heavy smoke coming from the single-story home from half a mile away, McGrath said. The working fire brought a large response.
The home had smoke and fire damage throughout, he said.
From the visual appearance, damage to the garage area indicated the fire may have started there, McGrath said. But the cause and other details, including where the blaze ignited, remained under investigation Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters remained on scene until at least 3 p.m. to make sure the fire was completely out.
Fillmore man sentenced in case involving teen churchgoer
A youth coordinator at a Fillmore church has been sentenced to prison in a decade-old sex crimes case involving a girl who attended the church.
Vidal Vargas Morales, 63, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.
In December, Morales had been convicted of one felony count of lewd acts on a child who was 15. The court also found true a special allegation he took advantage of a position of trust and confidence. Such allegations can impact sentencing.
In 2013, Morales was a youth coordinator at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fillmore. He had worked at the church for more than 20 years, authorities said when Morales was arrested in 2016. The allegations were reported to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office in 2015.
While working at the church in 2013, Morales met the victim, who attended catechism classes, prosecutors said. He started inappropriate communications with the girl, verbally and via text messages, in October and November that year. In early November 2013, Morales grabbed and fondled her, the DA's office said. Other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Morales testified during the trial.
A restitution hearing is scheduled for the morning of Jan. 31 in room 14 of Ventura County Superior Court.
Items may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Fire and heavy smoke damage Simi Valley home, more news
