6 young people arrested in theft incident

Six teenagers, ages 15 to 17, were arrested Tuesday after Moorpark deputies investigated a battery that occurred last week.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to an altercation on Nov. 15 at 51 Majestic Court in Moorpark, where an apartment complex is located. The sheriff’s office is contracted to provide police services in the city.

Patrol officers interviewed five victims at the scene, two adults and three juveniles. Authorities said the victims knew two of the suspects. The video of the incident was shown as evidence.

Six male suspects allegedly conspired to attack multiple victims in the area, sheriff’s officials said in a news release. The suspects reportedly stole the victims’ property and made credible threats against them. Five of the suspects live in Moorpark, while one is from Simi Valley, authorities said.

On Monday, a school resource officer in Moorpark identified the remaining suspects based on video evidence.

On Tuesday, detectives, patrol deputies and a school resource officer arrested six suspects on suspicion of robbery, criminal threats and conspiracy, authorities said. The youths were placed at the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities complex.

Barn fire threatens the slopes

Fire crews responded to a barn fire on the edge of Simi Valley Tuesday night and the fire may have spread to nearby brush, officials said.

The Ventura County Fire Department responded to the fire near the 3100 block of Sycamore Drive just before 10:30 p.m., department spokesman Andrew Dowd said. The street is located in a residential area next to the hillsides at the northern end of the city limits.

Firefighters found the barn engulfed in flames and set up a perimeter to prevent embers from burning nearby brush, Dowd said.

Some crews stayed on site throughout the night to make sure no embers were ignited.

No surrounding buildings were damaged and no injuries were reported. The cause remained under investigation Wednesday.

This article first appeared in the Ventura County Star: Last Week: 6 young people arrested in Moorpark incident, new news