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: https://bit.ly/4gdFloe
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: https://bit.ly/3SAgWBt
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: https://bit.ly/3UwxrPw
NEWS RELEASE:
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today the filing of felony charges against former Los Angeles Police Department detective and convicted rapist Michael ...Douglas Brambles (DOB 11/27/48), of Santa Maria, in connection with the 1994 kidnapping for robbery of a Thousand Oaks business owner.
At a news conference today, District Attorney Nasarenko and Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff detailed the decades-old case, while the victim, identified as SW, courageously spoke publicly about the attack.
Brambles is charged with kidnapping to commit robbery while personally using a firearm. The complaint also alleges several aggravating circumstances, including that the crime involved great violence, the victim was particularly vulnerable, the manner in which the crime was carried out indicated planning, sophistication or professionalism, and that Brambles engaged in violent conduct indicating a serious danger to society. Brambles was arrested August 12 in Santa Maria by District Attorney investigators, with the assistance of the Santa Maria Police Department.
READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3TWHw8n
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko and Sheriff Jim Fryhoff announced the arrest and filing of felony charges against former LAPD detective and convicted rapist Michael Douglas Brambles ...in connection with the 1994 kidnapping and robbery of a Thousand Oaks business owner.
At the news conference, the victim S.W. courageously spoke publicly about the 1994 attack and her decision to seek justice more than three decades later. Brambles is charged with kidnapping to commit robbery while personally using a firearm and faces a maximum sentence of 12 years to life in state prison if convicted. The sexual assault allegations from 1994 cannot be charged because the statute of limitations has expired.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Brambles in a previously unreported crime is asked to contact DA Investigator Mike McManama at 805-477-1652.
MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THE LINK IN THE DA’s OFFICE BIO.
1994 Thousand Oaks Kidnapping for Robbery - August 13, 2026
NEWS CONFERENCE TOMORROW:
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office will hold a news conference Thursday, August 13, to announce the arrest and charges... filed against Michael Douglas Brambles, a former LAPD detective and convicted rapist, accused of kidnapping for robbery of a Thousand Oaks business owner in 1994. The case was reopened thanks to continued testing as part of the Ventura County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff and the victim, who will be identified publicly only by her initials, S.W., will speak at the news conference.
READ MORE:
https://bit.ly/4qdpIln
Camp Hope 2026!
Six days. 60 campers. So many laughs, friendships and memories. 💜
Camp HOPE gave child victims of crime from across Ventura County a week to heal, connect, have fun ...and just be kids.
Thank you to everyone who made this unforgettable week possible! 🏕️☀️💜
Join the Ventura County District Attorney's Office at the 2026 County of Ventura Career & Resource Expo!
Meet our prosecutors, investigators, victim advocates, professional staff, ...and more to learn what it's like to serve the community through a career in public service. Whether you're interested in law, investigations, victim services, communications, or administrative support, our team will be there to answer your questions and share current career opportunities.
📅 Wednesday, August 26, 2026
🕚 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
📍 County Government Center Courtyard (between the Hall of Administration and the Hall of Justice)
We look forward to meeting you!