By F. Scott Faulkner
August 16, 2025 – Ventura County, CA
On the afternoon of August 12, graffiti vandals were spotted by a vigilant community member
as they defaced public property, tagging walls with gang-related graffiti.
The witness called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch Center, providing deputies with a vehicle
description.
According to VCSD spokesperson Sgt. Craig Hennes, patrol units were soon on the scene,
“where they found the suspects’ car.”
Inside were three males: Axel Martinez, 18, of Piru; Pedro Lara Jr., 18, of unincorporated Fillmore; and a 17-year-old juvenile from Fillmore.
All three were detained.
During the ensuing search of their vehicle, deputies discovered a loaded semi-automatic
handgun hidden in the juvenile’s waistband.
Spray paint cans and additional evidence tied the suspects directly to the vandalism.
Investigators also confirmed that all three are affiliated with a known tagging crew operating as a criminal street gang.
Martinez and Lara Jr. were transported to Ventura County Jail where they were booked on
charges of “participation in a criminal street gang, conspiracy, felony vandalism exceeding $400,
and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”
The juvenile was transported to the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center, where he was
charged with those same charges, plus multiple firearm-related offenses.
