Ventura County Star's breaking news stories of 2022

Jeremy Childs, Ventura County Star
·7 min read

In recent years, Ventura County has had its share of national news events, from the devastation of the Thomas and Woolsey fires to the mass-casualty tragedies of the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting and the Conception boat fire.

Although 2022 lacked such large-scale local disasters, the year still packed some major breaking news. Multistory buildings went up in smoke. Law enforcement agencies investigated unusual homicides. A local woman survived a deadly lightning strike near the White House.

Here are some of the Star's biggest public safety stories of the year:

Camarillo hotel fire

A dramatic nighttime fire destroyed a Camarillo hotel complex under construction in April.
A dramatic nighttime fire destroyed a Camarillo hotel complex under construction in April.

In one of the largest structure fires in recent Ventura County history, a four-story hotel under construction in Camarillo burned to the ground on the night of April 12.

The soon-to-be Home2 Suites by Hilton was part of a development across from the Camarillo Premium Outlets dubbed the Mian Plaza and Conference Center. The dramatic conflagration destroyed the hotel and caused the full closure of nearby Highway 101, but ultimately was extinguished without any reported injuries or extension to other structures.

According to Camarillo hotelier TM Mian, the property owner, the hotel was self-insured and valued at $60 million. The cause has not yet been determined. The Ventura County Fire Department is investigating.

Newbury Park High grad survives lightning strike

Amber Escudero-Kontostathis, a 2012 Newbury Park High graduate, survived a lightning strike outside the White House in August that killed three people.
Amber Escudero-Kontostathis, a 2012 Newbury Park High graduate, survived a lightning strike outside the White House in August that killed three people.

Amber Escudero-Kontostathis, a 28-year-old woman from Newbury Park, was the lone survivor of a powerful series of six lightning strikes that killed three people near the White House on Aug. 4.

Escudero-Kontostathis was working for Threshold Giving, a nonprofit advocacy group for refugees, on her 28th birthday in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., when she was caught in the thunderstorm.

She was revived on-site by the U.S. Secret Service and a pair of traveling medics and transported to a local hospital.

She suffered burns down the left side her of her body, near where she held the bag carrying her electrical devices, and nerve damage. She continues to recover from her injuries.

The three killed by lightning were Brooks A. Lambertson, 29, a Los Angeles bank employee, and Donna and James Mueller, both in their mid-70s, a Wisconsin couple celebrating their 56th wedding anniversary.

Simi Valley mother's remains found in desert

Rachel Castillo in a photo provided by her father.
Rachel Castillo in a photo provided by her father.

Simi Valley mother of two Rachel Castillo went missing from her Wood Ranch apartment on Nov. 10, where her sister found blood and signs of a struggle in the residence they shared.

The Simi Valley Police Department launched an intensive search for the 25-year old, including issuing a public plea for help.

On Nov. 13, police discovered Castillo's remains in the remote high desert of the Antelope Valley. Her estranged husband, Hawthorne resident Zarbab “Bobby” Ali, was arrested the same day.

Ali, a math teacher and the father of Castillo’s two sons, was charged by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office with murder and special allegations of lying in wait and use of a knife. Ali has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and denied the special allegations. He remains in custody without bail at Ventura County jail, with his next court hearing slated for the afternoon of Jan. 18.

Castillo, who worked at a local social services nonprofit, had filed for divorce from Ali in March, but the case had yet to be resolved at the time of her death. Authorities said her two boys, ages 2 and 5, were not home at the time of the attack. Castillo’s family and friends said she was devoted daughter working on a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at the time of her death and was a loving mother who dedicated her life to her sons.

2 killed in unsolved murder at Oxnard Transit Center

Flowers were set out on a bench at the Oxnard Transportation Center after two people were shot to death in June.
Flowers were set out on a bench at the Oxnard Transportation Center after two people were shot to death in June.

More than six months after two people were fatally shot on a bench at the Oxnard Transit Center on the morning of June 19, no arrests have been made by Oxnard police.

The shooting at 201 E. Fourth St. killed Oxnard residents William D. Tenner, 57, and Nicole M. Albillar, 33. Oxnard Police Department investigators believe the two knew each other and hung out as friends.

Albillar's friends and family, including her 10-year-old son Nathaniel, described her as having a sweet soul and said her death came as a shock.

In a recent interview, Sgt. Edgar Fernandez of the department's major crimes unit said investigators continue to make "positive progress" but have not collected enough evidence to make any arrests. He said it is possible more than one suspect was involved in the crime.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Detective Kaya Boysan at 805-385-7645. The City of Oxnard offers a reward up to $25,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of homicide suspects.

Fire destroys historic gym at Santa Paula High

A fire at Santa Paula High in the early morning hours of Nov. 27 destroyed the nearly 100-year-old gym
A fire at Santa Paula High in the early morning hours of Nov. 27 destroyed the nearly 100-year-old gym

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, a fire broke out inside Bryden Gym at Santa Paula High School, destroying the facility so badly it was unsalvageable.

The building was constructed in 1938 and was the original gymnasium for the school, hosting everything from school dances to basketball games. In the present day, the gym was used to house the girls' locker room and the school's volleyball and wrestling teams. Alumni of Santa Paula High School shared their memories of the gym across social media after news of the fire broke.

Arson investigators recently dubbed the fire "suspicious," but no arrests have been made and the cause remains under investigation.

The gym was demolished in early December. School officials have estimated replacement costs at $25-$30 million. The building was insured and property losses are expected to be covered.

A Caterpillar rips down the charred remains of Bryden Gym at Santa Paula High School on Dec. 2 less than a week after it was destroyed by fire.
A Caterpillar rips down the charred remains of Bryden Gym at Santa Paula High School on Dec. 2 less than a week after it was destroyed by fire.

Dismembered body found in Camarillo dumpster

On a Friday morning in June, Ventura County Sheriff's officials investigated reports of possible human remains found in a dumpster at a Camarillo apartment complex.

As the day went on, detectives confirmed the June 3 discovery involved the dismembered remains of a woman who lived with her son at the complex in the 300 block of Townsite Promenade. The victim was identified as Tomoko Hoetzlein, 62.

Ventura County Sheriff's detectives investigate the discovery of human remains in a Camarillo dumpster in June.
Ventura County Sheriff's detectives investigate the discovery of human remains in a Camarillo dumpster in June.

Her son, David Hoetzlein, 25, was arrested and subsequently charged by prosecutors with murder. The two lived in a unit next to the dumpster, authorities said. David Hoetzlein was found alone in the apartment after the remains were discovered, authorities said, where detectives also reportedly found evidence linking him to the crime.

In October, the murder case was suspended after Hoetzlein was found unable to stand trial due to results of a mental competency evaluation.

As of Monday, he remained in custody at Ventura County jail, awaiting transfer to a state mental hospital, where he will receive treatment until he is potentially deemed competent to stand trial. Court proceedings will remain suspended until then.

Authorities respond to spike in South American Theft Groups

One of the major local crime trends of 2022 was the rise in incidents linked to South American Theft Groups, loosely organized crews hailing from countries including Chile and Colombia that often target wealthy enclaves for burglaries and other property crimes.

Some Ventura County areas targeted by the groups include Oak Park, Spanish Hills in Camarillo, North Ranch in Thousand Oaks and Sherwood Lake in Westlake Village. In response, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, other law enforcement agencies and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office have doubled down on investigating the groups to keep up with the increased activity.

According to Senior Deputy DA Brandon Ross, more than 40 suspected SATG members were charged during the first 10 months of 2022, with 14 already convicted. At least 29 more await trial.

This week

  • Sunday: Photos of 2022

  • Monday: Top headlines of 2022

  • Tuesday: Breaking news of 2022

  • Wednesday: Biggest business stories of 2022

  • Thursday: General news of 2022

  • Friday: Government, political news of 2022

Staff writers Dawn Megli, Joe Curley and Gretchen Wenner contributed to this report.

Jeremy Childs is a general assignment reporter covering courts, crime and breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at 805-437-0208, jeremy.childs@vcstar.com, and on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Breaking news of 2022: Ventura County's big stories