Ventura County Sheriff – Incident Press Release
Thousand Oaks-Investigators arrested (S) Gustavo Martinez Ramirez after he started a brush fire to a hillside along the 200 block of Rancho Road, in Thousand Oaks. On June 16th, 2021, at about 3:13 AM, the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) received a call of a brush fire in the 200 block of Rancho Road, south of the US 101 Freeway, in Thousand Oaks. VCFD personnel quickly arrived on scene and extinguished the fire, which was held to about one acre. The fire was contained to the brush only and no structures were damaged during the incident.
A witness in the area called into Ventura County Fire Dispatch and stated they had seen a suspect light the fire. The witness gave a description and location of where the suspect was last seen. California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officers, from the Moorpark Office, located and detained Ramirez about 150 yards from where the fire started. Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies from the Thousand Oaks Police Station responded and relieved the CHP Officers. Arson Investigators from the VCFD and Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and initiated an investigation into the cause of the brush fire. They contacted the witness and interviewed Ramirez. Their investigation determined the fire was the result of arson. Ramirez was identified as a suspect in the crime. Ramirez was arrested for one felony count of arson and booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility. Ramirez remains in custody on $60,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on July 1, 2021.
The Ventura County Fire Department, Thousand Oaks Police Department and California Highway Patrol would like to thank the citizens who quickly reported the fire and acted swiftly to help identify the suspect. We would like to remind the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. Due to low fuel moisture and drought conditions, extreme fire behavior is expected to continue throughout the year. Always be prepared for emergency evacuation.
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This is what it takes to make short order of crime. I’m pleased to say that both the community and our great fire department and legal team are like a hand in a glove in Thousand Oaks.