Oxnard man arrested after vehicle stolen from Moorpark with toddler inside
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - An Oxnard man was arrested Friday for reportedly stealing a vehicle from a Moorpark residence while an 18-month-old toddler was still sitting inside.
Around 8:23 p.m., Ventura County Sheriff's deputies responded to numerous calls regarding a possible prowler near the 3800 block of Timberridge Road in Moorpark.
Deputies said each caller provided the same general description of a man jumping over fences into the backyards of multiple homes in the area of Mountain Trail Street near Country Trail Park.
After deputies began searching for the man, they received a report from the California Highway Patrol that a vehicle had been reported stolen from the 4200 block of Santa Rosa Drive.
The 32-year-old woman who owned the car told officers her 18-month-old daughter was still inside when the vehicle was taken.
Deputies said they quickly determined the stolen vehicle was likely related to the prowler due to the location of the incident and began helping CHP search for the car.
Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo and Fillmore patrol stations, along with a Sheriff’s helicopter, all responded to the case.
A short time later, a Camarillo deputy spotted the vehicle driving on the 7300 block of Santa Rosa Road and pulled it over. The driver, a 33-year-old Oxnard man, was immediately arrested without further incident.
Fortunately, the toddler was found in the back of the car uninjured. She was quickly returned to the care of her parents.
Upon review, the Oxnard man was found to have multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest and faces additional charges for kidnapping and vehicle theft.
He was booked into the County's Pre-Trial Detention Facility where his bail was set at $122,500. He is scheduled for arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court March 30 at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 13.
