“Auto theft task forces work to reduce the number of stolen vehicles, recover stolen vehicles, and arrest those who take them. This helps to keep our community safe and works toward the reduction of premiums we all pay for car insurance. We are grateful no one was injured in apprehended this armed suspect.”
CSLEA President Alan Barcelona
OXNARD – On January 23, 2025, Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force (VenCATT) detectives located a stolen 2019 Toyota Highlander being driven in Oxnard. VenCATT detectives conducted an enforcement stop on the vehicle in a parking lot on Esplanade Drive. The sole occupant and driver of the Toyota, Juan Rodriguez, 39, of Port Hueneme, was placed under arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle. An unserialized handgun, otherwise known as a “ghost gun”, was located and seized during the arrest and recovery of the Toyota.
Rodriguez was booked into the Ventura County Jail for driving a stolen vehicle, buying or receiving a stolen vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, and illegal to possess ammunition.
The Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force is comprised of detectives and investigators from the
- California Highway Patrol,
- Ventura Couty Sheriff’s Posse,
- Ventura County District Attorney’s Office
- Oxnard Police Department,
- Simi Valley Police Department,
- Ventura Police Department and
- California Department of Motor Vehicles.
The team is committed to the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of people and organizations who are engaged in auto theft activities impacting the County of Ventura.
