– by F. Scott Faulkner
FILLMORE, CA — September 13, 2025 – A smoldering car fire in Fillmore discovered by law enforcement authorities in August, 2025 has led to the arrest of a local man on suspicion of arson and a hate crime.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Jarrod Foote, deputies from the VCSD Fillmore Station were called to a residential neighborhood in the City of Filmore at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2025, where they found “a vehicle deliberately set ablaze.” The immediately ensuing investigation determined that the owner of the vehicle “had been targeted by vandals before and that the crimes were likely driven by racial bias.”
Throughout the following investigation, detectives from the Fillmore Sheriff’s Station, the Major Crimes Bureau’s Arson Unit, and the Sheriff’s Advanced Real Time Information Center dug into the case. With “help from a community member,” authorities identified 41-year-old Ivan Duenas of Fillmore as the suspected arsonist.
Detectives closed in on Sept. 11, making contact with Duenas outside his home. He was summarily “detained and taken into custody without incident.” A search warrant was quickly served on his residence and vehicle, where investigators uncovered more evidence connecting him to the fire.
Duenas was booked into the Sheriff’s Pre-Trial Detention Facility on charges of arson of another’s property and violation of civil rights by damaging property. He remains behind bars on a no-bail hold.
A records search indicates that Duenas has had numerous run ins with the law in recent years, many of which appear to be drug related.
Photo: Stock Image
