Ventura Police Department – Incident Press Release
On January 2nd, 2020, at about 2:07 pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a call from a female claiming to be the victim of an attempted robbery. The victim indicated that she and her three grandchildren were riding bicycles northbound on the bike path which runs along the west side of the Ventura County Fairgrounds. As they were riding on the bike path, the suspect stepped onto the path in front of them and blocked them from being able to proceed. The suspect then demanded that the victim give him money. The victim and her grandchildren, fearing for their safety, turned around and fled southbound on the bike path. As they fled on their bikes, the suspect made some verbal threats.
Ventura Fire Department Medic Engine 1 happened to be in the area when the crime occurred. The fire department personnel observed the suspect flee into the Ventura Riverbottom and alerted Ventura Police Patrol Officers as they arrived. The officers chased the suspect into the riverbottom and eventually took him into custody after traversing parts of the river.
The suspect, who was ultimately identified as Christopher Cruz, 27 years old, vagrant, was placed under arrest and transported to the Ventura County Jail. He was charged with attempted robbery and resisting arrest. Nobody was injured during this incident.
A search of the Ventura County Superior Court Website indicates that Cruz has numerous prior arrests and convictions for drug-related crimes and theft.
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