Third person dead in PCH double crash outside Oxnard, more news

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

3rd person dead in pair of PCH crashes

A third person has died after a double crash on Pacific Coast Highway on the Oxnard Plain late Saturday night, authorities said Tuesday, when the victims were identified.

In the initial two-vehicle crash, reported around 11:10 p.m. on southbound PCH near Naumann Road, one of the drivers died at the scene, California Highway Patrol officials said.

A passenger in that driver's car subsequently died at the hospital, said CHP Officer Jorge Alfaro on Tuesday.

The driver was identified as Scott Tenzer, 44 of Malibu, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office.

His passenger was identified as Malibu resident Natalie Stafford, 48, the agency said.

In the second accident, a good Samaritan who stopped to assist at the crash site was struck and killed — allegedly by a drunk driver — as he walked across lanes, Alfaro said.

The victim was identified Tuesday as Cristian Aranda Jr., 21, of Port Hueneme, the medical examiner's office reported. A GoFundMe campaign for funeral expenses at https://gofund.me/ff9545f3 had raised more than $9,000 toward a goal of $10,000 as of early Tuesday afternoon.

CHP officials said in the first crash, a 34-year-old Ventura man had been driving a Volkswagen Golf northbound on PCH when he lost control of the car and veered into southbound lanes. The Golf hit a southbound Nissan Sentra with the two Malibu residents.

No alcohol or drugs are suspected and no arrest has been made in the initial crash, Alfaro said.

About five minutes after the first accident, a southbound Scion FR-S driven by a 28-year-old Oxnard man hit the disabled VW Golf. The driver of the Golf suffered minor injuries in both collisions, authorities said.

The Scion also apparently struck Aranda as tried to walk to the accident site, authorities said. No one saw Aranda get hit. His body was later found on the median, according to the CHP.

The driver of the Scion was arrested on suspicion of DUI causing injuries, according to the CHP.

The accidents remain under investigation. Witnesses can call the CHP's Ventura-area office at 805-662-2640.

Teen hurt, dog killed in El Rio crash

A teenager was injured and a dog died in a crash on Vineyard Avenue in El Rio on Monday, authorities said.

The crash between a big rig and a sedan was reported around 9 a.m. just south of Central Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. The big rig, which had been heading northbound on Vineyard, was making a left turn into a private driveway, CHP Officer Jorge Alfaro said.

Initial reports said the sedan, driven by a young man, was headed southbound on Vineyard at a high rate of speed when the crash happened, Alfaro said.

The teenager was taken to the Ventura County Medical Center with what were described as major injuries. A dog in the car died, he said.

Guilty plea in stalking case

A 59-year-old Woodland Hills man pleaded guilty last week in a stalking case that involved two women he dated, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said.

Derrick Toole pled guilty Friday to two felony counts of stalking for incidents that took place in 2020 and 2021.

The first, in Simi Valley, arose after the victim received a temporary restraining order against Toole in 2019, the DA's office said in a news release. Toole placed a tracking device in her vehicle, damaged her home door locks so they didn't work, showed up at her home uninvited and called and texted, prosecutors said. The Simi Valley Police Department investigated.

Toole started dating the second victim while the first case was being reviewed, authorities said. When the relationship ended a few months later, the victim found tracking devices in her vehicle's glove compartment and undercarriage. Toole pasted large posters of their text messages on her garage, according to prosecutors, shot a BB gun into her front yard late at night, showed up uninvited and overwhelmed the woman with text messages. He was reportedly seen on a doorbell camera entering the property while the victim was away and driving by the home at all hours.

Ventura County Sheriff's authorities arrested Toole in July 2021.

A jury trial had been in progress when Toole changed his plea to guilty on Friday, court records show.

Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of Feb. 6 in room 24 of Ventura County Superior Court. The maximum sentence is three years, eight months in prison, prosecutors said.

Items may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Third person dead in PCH double crash outside Oxnard, more news