El Rio Stabbing Arrests 

September 12, 2024 – Ventura County Sheriff's Office officials report that in late August and early September 2024, Sheriff’s Office West County Special Enforcement Unit (WC-SEU) detectives arrested multiple gang members reference a stabbing that occurred in mid-August on Vineyard Avenue in El Rio. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office subsequently filed felony assault, conspiracy, and street terrorism charges against all suspects.    

On August 19, 2024, at approximately 5:44 P.M., Ventura County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call regarding a stabbing that occurred in the 2800 block of E. Vineyard Avenue in El Rio. Headquarters Patrol Station deputies, along with WC-SEU and Major Crimes Bureau detectives, responded to the call for service.  Detectives and deputies learned multiple suspects physically attacked and stabbed a juvenile victim in a parking lot. The suspects took property belonging to the victim before fleeing in a vehicle prior to deputies’ arrival at the scene.  The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital for medical treatment.

Investigators with Oxnard Police Department’s Special Enforcement and Violent Crimes Units assisted the Sheriff’s Office by quickly identifying the suspects. The suspects, all Oxnard residents and known criminal street gang members, were identified as Sergio Contreras (age 18), Fabian Martin Ramirez (age 18), Uzai Lopez (age 19), and a 15-year-old juvenile male. WC-SEU detectives obtained search and arrest warrants for the suspects and their residences.  Over the next two weeks, detectives arrested the four suspects and located evidence related to the crime. 

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office subsequently filed felony assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit a crime, and street terrorism charges against Contreras, Ramirez, and Lopez in the Ventura County Superior Court.  The three adult suspects remain in custody with upcoming court dates.

Additionally, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office filed multiple felony charges against the juvenile suspect in the Ventura County Juvenile Court system. 

The West County Special Enforcement Unit is comprised of eight detectives whose focus is assisting the Sheriff’s Office West County Patrol Stations with the investigation of various crimes including but not limited to violent crimes and illegal firearm activities. The stabbing investigation is on-going, if you have any information about the case, please contact Detective Steve Bibian at 805-677-8733.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank members of the public for their on-going support and due diligence in providing information to assist our agency in solving crimes. We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships.   

Join us in the fight on crime by following us on Twitter @VENTURASHERIFF, Facebook, Instagram @VCSHERIFF, and with Nixle by texting your zip code to 888777 to receive local law enforcement and public safety alerts and advisories. 

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime.  The caller may remain anonymous.  The call is not recorded.  Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Source: Ventura County Sheriff's Office