Early Thursday morning, a burglary took place at the Vons grocery store on the 600 block of Ventura Street in Fillmore, leading to the arrest of 30-year-old Rickie Ann Hudson from Thousand Oaks. The incident occurred around 1:53 A.M. when Hudson allegedly shattered the front window of the store with a hammer and proceeded to steal multiple bottles of liquor. Despite the presence of employees restocking shelves, the suspect attempted to escape the crime scene on foot.
The quick response of patrol deputies allowed for the retrieval of video surveillance footage that identified Hudson as the suspect while detectives swiftly set up a perimeter, and after an intensive search involving community support, Hudson was located around 3:34 A.M. hiding in a nearby river bottom homeless encampment, not far from where the burglary had been committed in possession of the stolen bottles of liquor
According to a news release published by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, the stolen property was recovered and subsequently returned to the Vons store. Rickie Ann Hudson now faces charges for burglary in violation of Penal Code § 459, vandalism following Penal Code § 594(a), and possession of stolen property contrary to Penal Code § 496. Hudson was booked into the Ventura County Sheriff's Pre-Trial Detention Facility awaiting court proceedings.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has expressed gratitude toward the community for their assistance in solving crimes, stating, "We are better at what we do because of our community partnerships," as they encourage locals to stay engaged in the fight against crime by following them on various social media platforms and through Nixle alerts. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered by Ventura County Crime Stoppers for information leading to further arrests in connection with the burglary, with the assurance that tipsters can remain anonymous and calls are not recorded.
