Ventura County Sheriff Department – Incident Press Release
On 3-29-19, patrol deputies with the Thousand Oaks Police Department responded to a fight call in the 100 block of W. Hillcrest Drive. A subsequent investigation revealed Bridgette Salas was involved in a verbal argument with the 13-year-old female juvenile victim. Salas threatened to return with her “niece” for the purpose of battering the female juvenile victim. Salas left the location and returned in a vehicle a short time later with Gilbert Puga and two female juvenile suspects, ages 16 and 13. The 16-year-old female juvenile suspect battered the female juvenile victim, resulting in the victim being transported to Los Robles Hospital for treatment for a significant head injury. All suspects were arrested for their involvement in this crime.
During this assault, the 13-year-old female juvenile suspect brandished and activated a taser, displaying an electric arc at nearby witnesses. While brandishing the taser, she threatened to use the taser on anyone who attempted to intervene with the attack. Salas and Puga watched as the 16-year old female juvenile suspect battered the victim and made no attempt to stop this attack from occurring. Uninvolved witnesses eventually stopped the fight and Salas drove Puga and the female juvenile suspects away from the scene.
On 5-1-19, after completing a thorough investigation, a search warrant was served at residences of the suspects involved in this crime. Salas, Puga and the two female juvenile suspects were arrested for California Penal Code section 245(a)(4), assault with a deadly weapon, and Penal Code section 182(a), conspiring to commit a crime. Salas and Puga were also arrested for Penal Code Section 273a(a), child endangerment. Evidence related to this crime was located during the service of this search warrant. Salas and Puga were booked into the Ventura County Pre- Trial Detention Facility with bail set at $50,000 for each. The two female juvenile suspects were lodged into the Ventura County Juvenile justice Center.