Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reported an attempted carjacking on Monday, May 2, where a suspect was located and captured near Fillmore following an extensive 4-hour effort that included two helicopters and two K-9s. Deputies say the incident started around 6:15am in the area of Highway 126 near the Fillmore Fish Hatchery when the 29-year-old male suspect from Fillmore attempted to steal the male victim’s truck by force. The suspect punched the victim and demanded the vehicle, but the victim refused. The suspect, who was not armed, then fled on foot into the hillsides north of the 126 and east of the city. Deputies began a search using Copter 3 and located the suspect clinging to a tree about 4-hours later. Copter 8 was called in and with the help of one of the K-9s, they took the suspect into custody around 10:15am. He was airlifted to a waiting patrol vehicle and taken to jail. The victim did not suffer any serious injuries in the battery.