A man was arrested for allegedly looting a Camarillo home that was under an evacuation order due to the devastating mountain fire during the weekend.
According to a statement from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, the theft victim had arrived outside his property Friday while riding an electric bicycle.
“He parked his bicycle in his driveway and walked through his front yard. As he did so, he noticed that the neighbor’s landscaping crew was nearby,” the statement said.
When he returned to his driveway, he discovered the bike was missing, officers said.
“Due to the timing and proximity of the theft, he confronted the landscapers.”
One of the landscapers admitted to taking the bicycle and returned it to the victim after removing it from the locked trailer it was in.
The next day, Saturday, members of the department’s Sheriff’s Tactical Response Team conducted patrols in the area as an evacuation order was in place.
They stopped to talk to the victim, who informed them of the theft of his bicycle the day before.
“Upon further investigation, officers identified the suspect as Ramon Avila Pacheco,” the statement said.
He was located and arrested in the area of Temple Avenue and Aloha Street in Camarillo. Pacheco was booked for looting.
