More arrests made in Oak Park vandalism

More arrests have been made in connection with the vandalism at Deerhill Park in Oak Park, according to police.

Near the park at about 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 an unidentified man flagged down Senior Dep. Dave Nadon of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department to alert him to a vandalism that was in progress.

Nadon saw a white truck leaving the park. He stopped the driver, conducted an investigation of the vehicle and determined that it had been driven on the field and torn up the turf.

A juvenile who lives in Lake Sherwood was arrested on felony vandalism charges and released to his parents, according to Capt. Bill Flannigan of the sheriff's department.

Three other arrests were made on Jan. 27 following an investigation into a park vandalism incident that took place in November. At that time, four vehicles--two sedans and two trucks--had been driven on the grass, causing damage to the turf.

Photos taken by a witness revealed the license plate of one of the vehicles, which assisted police in tracking down the suspects.

Two 17-year-old male juveniles and a 19-year-old, Sean Currier, all from Thousand Oaks, were arrested in connection with the November incident. Currier was booked at the Ventura County Jail.

It's not unusual for vandalism to be committed by people who live outside the community, Flannigan said.

"We see this a lot," the captain said.

The arrests are the latest in a string of vandalism incidents at the park, including trees torn down and graffiti painted on bathroom walls.

Four Oak Park High School teens, all 15 years old, were arrested in October for vandalism at Deerhill, including the destruction of nine trees and the theft of hood ornaments and emblems from more than 35 vehicles. Some of the charges in the October arrest were felonies because of the large amount of damage involved.

Police also are investigating damage to the concrete staircase leading into the park. Large chunks of concrete were chipped from several of the stairs, officials said.