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This week, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously honored the legacy of Judge Colleen Toy White by renaming the Ventura County Family Justice Center in Ventura in her memory.
Judge White dedicated 41 years to public service and championed victims, vulnerable communities, and access to justice. Now, her name will stand alongside a center that carries forward that same mission.
The Judge Colleen Toy White Family Justice Center. A lasting legacy of compassion, dignity and justice.
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🔥 Wildfires. 🌊 Flooding. 🌎 Earthquakes. ⛰️ Landslides.
What hazards concern you most in Ventura County and what should we be doing now to prepare for them?
That’s what Ventura County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan is all about. Simply put, it’s a roadmap for identifying the disasters most likely to impact our communities and taking steps before they happen to reduce damage and protect the people, places and services we rely on. And we need your input!
Take our short survey and tell us:
▪️ Which hazards concern you most
▪️ What places, services and resources are most important to protect
▪️ What you think should be considered as we plan for future disasters
Your feedback will help local agencies across Ventura County prioritize projects and strategies that can reduce risk and strengthen our communities.
👉 Take the survey and learn more at ReadyVenturaCounty.org
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
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NEWS RELEASE:
Sixty children from across Ventura County recently gathered at Camp Daley in Calabasas for six days of Camp HOPE, a program designed to give child victims of crime an opportunity to heal, build friendships, and simply be kids.
This year’s camp included 20 children ages 7 to 11 and 40 youth ages 12 to 17. Forty-eight campers were returning participants, demonstrating the lasting connection many children have with the program.
READ MORE: bit.ly/4qqYRm6
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NEWS RELEASE:
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Fernando Juarez Gomez Jr. (DOB 12/09/80), of Oxnard, has been sentenced to six years in state prison for sexual battery against patients who came to him for chiropractic treatment. Gomez was previously convicted by a jury on June 24, 2026, of five felony counts of sexual battery involving four different female victims. The court also found true the aggravating factor that Gomez took advantage of a position of trust while committing the crimes. Gomez also plead guilty to one count of battery against a fifth victim.
“The defendant told these young women that his methods would eliminate their pain and help them achieve their athletic goals,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Twyla Atmore said. “Instead, he touched the most intimate parts of their bodies for his own sexual gratification under the guise of therapeutic treatment. The jury’s verdict and today’s sentence send a clear message that his behavior was unacceptable.”
READ MORE: bit.ly/4gdFloe
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NEWS RELEASE:
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Leonardo Rodriguez (DOB 03/05/05), of Pico Rivera, was sentenced on August 13, 2026, to five years and four months in state prison for his role as the driver in a 2024 crash that killed two people on U.S. 101 in Newbury Park. Rodriguez previously pled guilty on June 25, 2026, to two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter for causing the deaths of Serenity Rizkalla and Michael Estrella.
Deputy District Attorney George Brietigam, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office General Trials Unit, prosecuted the case.
“At 124 miles per hour there’s no margin for error,” Mr. Brietigam said. “The deaths of Serenity Rizkalla and Michael Estrella were the foreseeable result of the defendant’s shockingly poor judgement and dangerous choices. This tragedy was preventable, and their families will forever live with the consequences. We hope today’s sentence provides their loved ones with some measure of closure.”
READ MORE: bit.ly/3SAgWBt
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NEWS RELEASE:
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that David Hoetzlein (DOB 06/04/97), of Camarillo, admitted in court today that he strangled and killed his mother, Tomoko Hoetzlein, in their Camarillo home in 2022. However, because of a severe mental disorder that prevented him from having the mental capacity required to be held criminally responsible at the time of the killing, Hoetzlein was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Hoetzlein admitted to second-degree murder of his mother. Two independent doctors evaluated Hoetzlein and each concluded he met the legal criteria for a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors did not object to those opinions based on Hoetzlein’s documented mental health history, the doctors’ reports, and input from Hoetzlein’s family.
“Tomoko Hoetzlein was a devoted mother who did everything in her power to get her son the mental health treatment he desperately needed,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Erin Meister. “Tragically, she lost her life while trying to help him.”
READ MORE: bit.ly/3UwxrPw
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