Teenage gang members facing street terrorism, other charges after assaulting juvenile

Four teenagers – including a 15-year-old – have been arrested on a slew of charges following a violent knife attack against another juvenile in Ventura County.

According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the attack occurred on Aug. 19 in a parking lot in the 2800 block of East Vineyard Avenue in the community of El Rio, which lies slightly north of Oxnard and east of Ventura.

Law enforcement officials responding to the call for service arrived and located the juvenile victim who had been “physically attacked” and stabbed by multiple suspects.

“The suspects took property belonging to the victim before fleeing in a vehicle prior to deputies’ arrival at the scene,” VCSO stated.  “The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital for treatment.”

Investigators with the Oxnard Police Department’s Special Enforcement and Violent Crime units assisted VCSO in quickly locating the four suspects, all of whom are known street gang members from Oxnard under the age of 20.

Detectives with the Special Enforcement Unit authored and obtained search warrants for the suspects and their residences, and over the ensuing two weeks, arrested the four teenagers, later identified as:

• Sergio Contreras, 18

• Fabian Martin Ramirez, 18

• Uzai Lopez, 19

• Unnamed juvenile, 15

Contreras, Ramirez and Lopez are facing felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit a crime and street terrorism. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office also filed multiple felony charges against the juvenile in the local juvenile court system.

The three adult suspects remain in custody with upcoming court dates.

Anyone with more information on the Aug. 19 attack in El Rio is asked to call Detective Steve Bibian by calling 805-677-8733.

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