Public Safety Briefs – Police arrest homicide suspect in stabbing on bike path

VENTURA – Police arrested the suspect in a Ventura stabbing Tuesday evening that left a 26-year-old man dead three days earlier.

The stabbing occurred around 2:01 p.m. Saturday on a bike path located west of Victoria Avenue across the street from Montalvo Hill Park, according to the Ventura Police Department.

The victim, identified as Marcos Guzman Reyes, 26, of Ventura, was found with multiple stab wounds in his upper torso. He was transported to Ventura County Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.

Through an investigation, police determined Reyes was stabbed while standing next to his bicycle on the bike path. The suspect, identified as Pedro Munoz, 39, of Ventura, fled the area on foot and crossed Victoria into Montalvo Hill Park. He escaped through a nearby shopping center and was last seen in the Montalvo area.

Around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, a Ventura patrol officer spotted a man who matched the physical description of Munoz at the dead end of Valentine Road east of Victoria Avenue. Munoz tried to run away and fought the officer, but he was detained within minutes and taken into custody.

Munoz was booked into Ventura County jail on suspicion of murder, felony assault on a police officer and various misdemeanor drug charges. His bail was set at $1.36 million, and he is due to appear in Ventura Superior Court for arraignment at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, according to online jail records.

Hazmat crews called in for

acid spill in Port Hueneme

PORT HUENEME – Hazardous materials crews responded to a chemical spill in a Port Hueneme roadway Tuesday evening.

A 911 caller reported that a truck dropped something near the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Ventura roads shortly after 6:30 p.m., said Andy VanSciver, a Ventura County Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters, who dubbed the response the Valley incident, brought out a standard response, including crews from Oxnard Fire and the Ventura County fire departments.

Officials determined the spill was a type of acid. About one-third of a gallon was contained and neutralized. No injuries or environmental damage were reported, VanSciver said.

Crews were cleared from the scene at approximately 9 p.m.

Man killed by train identified

CAMARILLO – A man struck and killed by a train Monday evening in Camarillo was identified on Tuesday.

The victim, Agustin Villalpando Jr., 53, was described as homeless, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. His death was ruled as an accident.

On Monday, Villalpando was struck by a freight train near the Camarillo Metrolink Station by Lewis Road, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office. Trains were stopped in both directions for several hours as deputies investigated.

Villalpando died at the scene as a result of blunt force head injuries, officials said.

Van Nuys man pleads guilty to hazardous fuel waste, fraud

A Van Nuys man involved in February 2020 hit-and-run crash in Oxnard that also caused a hazardous waste cleanup pleaded guilty last week to charges stemming from the incident.

Karen Khosteghyan, 37, changed his plea to guilty in Ventura County Superior Court for felony insurance fraud, release of hazardous waste and hit-and-run driving, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Khosteghyan was driving with a 500-gallon diesel fuel tank in his truck bed on Feb.1, 2020, when he was involved in a collision in Oxnard, according to the district attorney's office.

He fled the scene, driving his truck to Camarillo, leaking diesel fuel from the tank until he abandoned it. The tank continued to leak in Camarillo, the agency said. Ventura County Fire Department investigators estimate that 130 gallons of fuel had leaked.

When the Oxnard Police Department contacted Khostegyhyan, he claimed that his truck had been stolen and that he was not driving when the accident occurred. He then filed a claim on his auto insurance policy, issued by Kemper Insurance.

In an investigation by Oxnard police, county fire, Kemper Insurance and the district attorney's Auto Insurance Fraud Unit uncovered Khostegyhyan's ruse. He is responsible for unlawfully causing a hazardous substance release, claiming his truck was stolen and making a false insurance claim.

Khosteghyan is scheduled to appear for sentencing Aug. 22 at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 23.

He faces up to five years and a fine of up to $50,000 or double the amount of the fraud, whichever is greater, for auto insurance fraud and up to three years in jail and a fine of $10,000 for depositing hazardous waste on the roadway.