By F. Scott Faulkner
October 21, 2025 – Ventura County, CA
A weekend confrontation between two politically opposed groups ended in violence and the
arrest of a local man accused of attacking two teenagers.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Cody Pietro, at
approximately 6:11 p.m. on Oct. 18, deputies responded to reports of a fight at a busy Thousand Oaks thoroughfare intersection.
When patrol units arrived, they found several people still at the scene and quickly learned the dispute
stemmed from a political demonstration.
Two groups with differing political views had gathered in the same area to wave flags and
express their opinions.
At some point, the situation turned physical when 57-year-old Thousand
Oaks resident Darryl Lutz “allegedly assaulted two juveniles, pushing one of them into
oncoming traffic.” The father of one of the boys saw the attack and immediately “stepped in to
stop it.”
At that point, detectives with the VCSD East County Major Crimes and Property Crimes units
took over the investigation and determined that Lutz confronted the boys “because of their
political beliefs.”
Both victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while Lutz sustained minor
injuries during the scuffle with the interceding parent.
After receiving medical treatment, Lutz was arrested and transported to Ventura County Jail,
where he was charged with battery resulting in great bodily injury, assault likely to produce great
bodily injury, and two counts of child abuse.
Lutz’s bail was set at $50,000, which he subsequently posted.
