Drive By Shootings Ventura County

A 14-year-old Santa Paula boy was treated at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital and released after being shot in the thigh during a drive-by shooting, police said. A dark-colored vehicle drove past the 1200 block of East Harvard Boulevard shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, according to witnesses, and a passenger fired several shots. Police would not say whether they believe the shooting was gang-related and are unsure whether the boy was the target of the attack or a bystander.

A 4-year-old girl and her 22-year-old neighbor were shot Wednesday afternoon outside an east side apartment complex in what police believe was a gang-related drive-by shooting. The child, Joselin Banaga, and Willie Lechuga each suffered a gunshot wound to the foot during the 2:30 p.m. incident in the 1200 block of Isleton Place. Joselin's 3-year-old cousin was also outside when the shooting occurred, but he was not injured, her family said.

Two 23-year-old Oxnard men are expected to be arraigned early this week in connection with the June shootings of two people attending a baby's wake. Peter Torres was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempted murder and Juan Dimas was arrested in late July also on suspicion of attempted murder, said Oxnard Police Det. Terry Burr. Both are being held at the Ventura County Jail.

A 24-year-old Ventura gang member convicted of attempted murder two years ago was granted a new trial Wednesday, after a judge found the defense attorney failed to present evidence that could have cleared his client. Danny Zizumbo, who has been serving a 38-year sentence for his alleged role in a January 1996 drive-by shooting in east Ventura, is being held at the Ventura County Jail on $250,000 bail pending the second trial.

Ventura police impounded a car used in a drive-by shooting that sent a 12-year-old girl to the hospital, but the suspects--reputed gang members--were still at large late Saturday, authorities said. At about 5 p.m. Friday, officers stopped a gray Oldsmobile in the 15000 block of West Telegraph Road near Santa Paula, and determined the car had been used in the shooting about two hours earlier at the Cabrillo Village housing project in east Ventura.

Chuck Jordan's world caved in two years ago, when his 20-year-old daughter Jennifer was shot and killed outside her Thousand Oaks home, the unintended victim of a gang-related shooting. Since then, the former aerospace engineer has waged a campaign to persuade gang members to end drive-by shootings by appealing to their sense of honor.

A Fillmore man was shot through the neck Wednesday afternoon by a passenger of another car as he drove through Santa Paula in a car with four other Fillmore residents, authorities said. Melvin Downs, 19, was listed in critical condition Wednesday evening at Ventura County Medical Center. A second occupant of the car suffered minor injuries to his left hand in the same shooting, said Lt. Richard Purnell of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

A drive-by shooting aimed at rival gang members left three Port Hueneme residents with minor injuries and led to the arrest of an Oxnard man early Saturday, Port Hueneme police said. And on Friday night in Oxnard, six or seven gang members attacked a neighborhood watch group and injured a 2-month-old child by throwing a skateboard through a window, police said.

A Ventura gang member was found guilty Wednesday of killing two Saticoy men and wounding two others in a drive-by shooting last spring. A Ventura County Superior Court jury deliberated two days before finding Edward (Tony) Throop, 18, guilty of two counts each of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, use of a weapon and inflicting great bodily injury, and one count of conspiracy. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 7.

In Courtroom 46 of the Ventura County Hall of Justice, a jury Tuesday was deliberating the fate of an 18-year-old accused of a gang-related double homicide. In Courtroom 35, a jury was being selected to try a 16-year-old suspect in the same case. Next door, in Courtroom 34, trial will begin next week for a 22-year-old reputed gang member accused in a nonfatal gang shooting.

Two 23-year-old Oxnard men are expected to be arraigned early this week in connection with the June shootings of two people attending a baby's wake. Peter Torres was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempted murder and Juan Dimas was arrested in late July also on suspicion of attempted murder, said Oxnard Police Det. Terry Burr. Both are being held at the Ventura County Jail.

Ventura police impounded a car used in a drive-by shooting that sent a 12-year-old girl to the hospital, but the suspects--reputed gang members--were still at large late Saturday, authorities said. At about 5 p.m. Friday, officers stopped a gray Oldsmobile in the 15000 block of West Telegraph Road near Santa Paula, and determined the car had been used in the shooting about two hours earlier at the Cabrillo Village housing project in east Ventura.

A drive-by shooting aimed at rival gang members left three Port Hueneme residents with minor injuries and led to the arrest of an Oxnard man early Saturday, Port Hueneme police said. And on Friday night in Oxnard, six or seven gang members attacked a neighborhood watch group and injured a 2-month-old child by throwing a skateboard through a window, police said.

A 14-year-old Santa Paula boy was treated at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital and released after being shot in the thigh during a drive-by shooting, police said. A dark-colored vehicle drove past the 1200 block of East Harvard Boulevard shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, according to witnesses, and a passenger fired several shots. Police would not say whether they believe the shooting was gang-related and are unsure whether the boy was the target of the attack or a bystander.

Chuck Jordan's world caved in two years ago, when his 20-year-old daughter Jennifer was shot and killed outside her Thousand Oaks home, the unintended victim of a gang-related shooting. Since then, the former aerospace engineer has waged a campaign to persuade gang members to end drive-by shootings by appealing to their sense of honor.

A Fillmore man was shot through the neck Wednesday afternoon by a passenger of another car as he drove through Santa Paula in a car with four other Fillmore residents, authorities said. Melvin Downs, 19, was listed in critical condition Wednesday evening at Ventura County Medical Center. A second occupant of the car suffered minor injuries to his left hand in the same shooting, said Lt. Richard Purnell of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

A 24-year-old Ventura gang member convicted of attempted murder two years ago was granted a new trial Wednesday, after a judge found the defense attorney failed to present evidence that could have cleared his client. Danny Zizumbo, who has been serving a 38-year sentence for his alleged role in a January 1996 drive-by shooting in east Ventura, is being held at the Ventura County Jail on $250,000 bail pending the second trial.

A 4-year-old girl and her 22-year-old neighbor were shot Wednesday afternoon outside an east side apartment complex in what police believe was a gang-related drive-by shooting. The child, Joselin Banaga, and Willie Lechuga each suffered a gunshot wound to the foot during the 2:30 p.m. incident in the 1200 block of Isleton Place. Joselin's 3-year-old cousin was also outside when the shooting occurred, but he was not injured, her family said.

A Ventura gang member was found guilty Wednesday of killing two Saticoy men and wounding two others in a drive-by shooting last spring. A Ventura County Superior Court jury deliberated two days before finding Edward (Tony) Throop, 18, guilty of two counts each of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, use of a weapon and inflicting great bodily injury, and one count of conspiracy. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 7.

In Courtroom 46 of the Ventura County Hall of Justice, a jury Tuesday was deliberating the fate of an 18-year-old accused of a gang-related double homicide. In Courtroom 35, a jury was being selected to try a 16-year-old suspect in the same case. Next door, in Courtroom 34, trial will begin next week for a 22-year-old reputed gang member accused in a nonfatal gang shooting.