Ventura County sheriff's deputies arrested two teenagers and seized three ghost guns after a road rage confrontation near a Camarillo freeway interchange on Saturday, Sept. 5.
Witnesses called sheriff's dispatch to report a black Mercedes sedan trying to ram a motorcycle near Las Posas Road at the northbound 101 Freeway offramp, according to a sheriff's office media release. Witnesses also reported seeing the driver and front passenger pointing a black assault rifle at the motorcyclist.
The Mercedes struck the motorcycle before fleeing. The motorcyclist was not injured.
The Sheriff's Advanced Real Time Information Center, known as ARTIC, used Automated License Plate Reader cameras in Camarillo to identify the vehicle. Deputies tracked the Mercedes to a Jack in the Box drive-thru in the 1600 block of E. Daily Drive, where they stopped the car and took both occupants into custody without incident.
The driver was identified as an 18-year-old man listed as a transient. The front passenger was a 17-year-old girl from Camarillo. Neither suspect has been formally charged by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office as of Friday, Sept. 11.
A search of the Mercedes turned up two assault rifles and a pistol. All three were ghost guns, firearms with no serial numbers. Both rifles were fully automatic, the sheriff's office said.
The two suspects were each arrested on eight charges, including possession of an automatic weapon, possession of an assault weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm and conspiracy to commit a crime. The 18-year-old was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on $50,000 bail. The juvenile was lodged at the Juvenile Justice Center.
The case, listed under report number 26-116672, is being handled by Camarillo Patrol Services and the Camarillo Investigations Bureau. The media release, dated Tuesday, Sept. 8, was prepared by Detective Timothy Behrend and approved by Captain Jason Hendren. KTLA and CBS News Los Angeles also reported on the arrests.
Anyone with information can contact Detective Behrend at 805-797-7096 or Detective Meagan Smiley at 805-561-4080. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, with rewards of up to $1,000.
