Camarillo man arrested for double homicide and two attempted murders Thursday evening

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – A 42-year-old Camarillo man, Alvin Otis Johnson, is in custody after a series of violent incidents in Ventura County that resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to three others.

On Aug. 29, around 1:07 p.m., deputies were called to the scene of a stabbing at the intersection of Rice Avenue and Channel Islands Boulevard in the unincorporated area of Oxnard stated the Ventura County Sheriff's Office in a press release Friday.

Arriving deputies found a 33-year-old man, later identified as Ricardo Juarez of Camarillo, with a stab wound and he was transported to a local hospital for further treatment where he later died from his injury detailed the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, investigators discovered that Johnson and Juarez knew of each other and were traveling in the same vehicle when the stabbing happened.

Juarez exited the vehicle after being stabbed and Johnson fled the scene in Juarez's vehicle shared the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

At 5:08 p.m. of the same day, a 911 call was received reporting an assault with a deadly weapon at a residence in the 3400 block of Huerta Court in Camarillo and simultaneously, a 47-year-old Camarillo man arrived at the Camarillo Police Station reporting he had been assaulted at the same residence explained the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Arriving deputies found Johnson armed with a handgun, but he was taken into custody without further incident detailed the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, deputies entered the Huerta Court residence and discovered a 75-year-old woman with severe head trauma and she was transported to a local hospital.

The 75-year-old woman, later identified as Marilyn Gallagher of Camarillo, later died at the hospital from her injuries stated the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies also found a 51-year-old Camarillo man with non-life-threatening injuries inside of the residence and investigators learned that Johnson was an acquaintance of all three people injured inside of the home on Huerta Court explained the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

Johnson was arrested and booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trail Detention Facility on the following charges:

• Two counts of PC 187-Murder
• Two counts of PC 664/187-Attempted Murder
• PC 246.3-Negligent Discharge of a Firearm
• PC 207-Kidnapping
• PC 236-False Imprisonment
• PC 29800-Addict in Possession of a Firearm

According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, Johnson's bail is currently set at $2 million and his arraignment is scheduled for Sep. 3, 2024, in Ventura County Superior Court, Room 13.

Anyone with additional information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective Kathryn Torres at 805-384-4740.