Ventura County Monday Briefs
Monday March 31, 2025
Ventura police have made an arrest in what they say was a series vandalisms over the weekend designed to create fear that other people were committing hate crimes.
They say the suspect, 30-year-old John Thomas Williams of Ventura, is accused of spray painting swastikas on five different properties, taking photos of the vandalisms, and then posting them on his social media site.
The vandalisms happened in the 1000 block of East Front Street, Harbor Boulevard and San Jon Road, 100 block of West Main Street, 100 block of West Garden Street, and Santa Clara Street at South Ventura Avenue.
Police say that as officers were investigating the first vandalism late Sunday morning they spotted Williams riding on an electric scooter in the area of Main and Ash streets.
They made an enforcement stop and found evidence they allege tied him to the vandalisms.
A check by police of his social media site showed that he was posting photos of his crimes in order to create the appearance that other people were spreading hate and fear throughout the city.
Williams remains in the Ventura County Jail with bail set at $250,000 but he cannot be released because of a parole hold.
He will be in court Wednesday.
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A federal judge in Los Angeles has sentenced a man for flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County.
Yinpiao Zhou was sentenced to the four months he has already served.
The judge also ordered him placed on supervised release, and pay a $200 fine.
On March 10th Zhou pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violation of the national defense airspace.
It was on November 30th of last year that the authorities at Vandenberg were alerted to a drone flying over the base.
They investigated and discovered Zhou in a nearby park along with another individual.
Initially he denied any knowledge of drones flying over the base but then admitted he had a drone in his jacket, the same one that had been seen over the base.
They discovered he had flown it over the base and had taken pictures.
He was arrested and has been locked up since then but with the plea agreement he is now being released.