Oxnard Police release Critical Incident Community Briefing after October officer-involved shooting

OXNARD, Calif. – The Oxnard Police Department has released a Critical Incident Community Briefing video for the officer-involved shooting of Cesar Ayala-Arteaga in October of last year.

The entire report will be made available through a public records request after the investigation into the incident is completed as required by California Senate Bill 1421 acknowledged the Oxnard Police Department in the Critical Incident Community Briefing.

On Oct. 21, 2024, around 7:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to a call of shots fired from a vehicle during a road rage incident near the intersection of Leeward Way and Victoria Avenue stated Assistant Chief of the Oxnard Police Department Christopher Williams in the Critical Incident Community Briefing.

According to Assistant Chief Williams, a witness told officers that a white sedan had "cut him off" while he was turning onto Victoria Avenue from Leeward Way and that the driver of the white sedan had stopped and fired a handgun into the air before leaving the area.

Another report was later received about a man in a white sedan brandishing a revolver-type handgun at a driver and his two passengers in the area of Leeward Way and Bayview Drive around 8:10 p.m. of the same day shared the Oxnard Police Department in the Briefing.

The two people inside of that vehicle later identified Arteaga as the man who had brandished the handgun added the Oxnard Police Department.

Around 8:15 p.m. of the same night, officers were dispatched to the parking lot of an apartment building in the 3700 block of Leeward Way for a vehicle being driven erratically and the sound of gunshots coming from the vehicle detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

Responding officers spotted a vehicle in the area that matched the provided description parked in the apartment complex and Arteaga exited an adjacent apartment to speak with officers explained the Oxnard Police Department.

Arteaga was unarmed at the time and confirmed the vehicle belonged to him, but, when officers informed him they were investigating a call for shots fired in the area, Arteaga declined to comply with officer's instructions to exit the apartment shared the Oxnard Police Department.

The image below, from the Critical Incident Community Briefing video, shows officers demanding Arteaga exit the patio of the apartment while Arteaga argued that officers should get a warrant to enter the apartment.

According to the Oxnard Police Department, Officer Stephen Petracca used a taser on Arteaga in an attempt to take him into custody, but it was not effective and Arteaga returned to the inside of the apartment.

Arteaga then exited and re-entered the apartment with a revolver-type handgun multiple times while indicating he had suicidal intentions and pointed the weapon at both officers and at his own head stated the Oxnard Police Department.

Oxnard Police Department officers reported and the Critical Incident Community Briefing video confirmed there were the sounds of shots fired within the apartment where Arteaga had earlier indicated his girlfriend was inside.

In the image below, from the Critical Incident Community Briefing, Arteaga is shown holding the handgun to his head while walking towards officers.

Later, when Arteaga pointed the handgun directly at officers just outside of the apartment, two officers fired four rounds and hit Arteaga once detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

After being shot, Arteaga retreated back into the apartment before shortly after exiting and surrendering to officers explained the Oxnard Police Department.

Emergency medical personnel that were on the scene administered aid and Arteaga was transported with non-life-threatening injuries to the Ventura County Medical Center for further treatment shared the Oxnard Police Department.

According to the Oxnard Police Department, the apartment was searched after Arteaga was taken into custody and no other people were found inside.

Arteaga was discharged from a Ventura County medical facility on Oct. 29 and has remained in custody at the Ventura County Jail since that date on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, exhibiting a deadly weapon at a police officer, negligently discharging a firearm, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm with bail set at $1 million stated the Oxnard Police Department.

The Oxnard Police Department added that Arteaga is next due in court on Feb. 20, 2025.

A bystander video later posted to social media shows Arteaga just outside of the apartment and moments later backing into the apartment before pointing the handgun at officers.

The three images below show the described sequence of events within approximately four seconds of each other that are also part of the Critical Incident Community Briefing.

The officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave in accordance with standard procedures for officer-involved shooting investigations and as of the publishing of this article, have been cleared to return to their assignments detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

The investigation into this incident is still ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Meagan Tobey at 805-385-7755 or through email at meagan.tobey@oxnardpd.org.