Oxnard police responded to a report of gunshots near Joliet Place and Oneida Place on Thursday and ended up arresting a 24-year-old local man after finding two loaded handguns in a vehicle tied to a separate hit-and-run collision blocks away. Officers believe the shooting and the crash may be connected, though the investigation remains active.
Gunfire Report Sends Officers to North Oxnard Streets
According to a news release from the Oxnard Police Department, officers were dispatched after reports of gunshots heard near Joliet Place and Oneida Place. Those streets sit in a residential pocket of north-central Oxnard, south of East Gonzales Road and west of North Rose Avenue, according to Redfin. While responding, officers located an individual involved in a hit-and-run collision in the same area.
Separately, citizens reported finding spent bullet casings in the 1500 block of Gina Drive, according to the same release. Police said they believed the shooting and the hit-and-run were possibly related, though that connection has not been confirmed. Officers searched the vehicle involved in the collision and located two loaded handguns inside.
Suspect Arrested on Multiple Firearms Violations
The department identified the man arrested as Christian Antonio Vargas-Alvarado, a 24-year-old Oxnard resident, who was booked on multiple firearms possession violations. Under California Penal Code Section 25850, carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle in a public place is generally charged as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, according to the Kraut Law Group. The charge can be elevated to a felony carrying up to three years in state prison if aggravating factors are present, such as an unregistered weapon or prior felony convictions.
The hit-and-run component of the case also carries its own statutory exposure. Leaving the scene of a collision that caused property damage without stopping to exchange information or leave a written note is a misdemeanor under California Vehicle Code Section 20002, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, per DCD Law. It remains unclear whether the collision caused damage to vehicles, property, or structures, and whether ballistic testing will link the recovered handguns to the shell casings found on Gina Drive.
Department Contact Brings Decades of Traffic Enforcement Experience
Oxnard Police Commander Jaime Miranda is listed as the department contact for the case. Miranda has spent nearly half of his almost 30-year career with the department in its Traffic Unit and was recognized in 2009 with the Avoid the 14 Award for his work reducing impaired driving. His background in traffic enforcement adds a layer of relevant expertise to a case that ties together a shooting investigation with a hit-and-run collision.
The arrest comes as Oxnard police continue broader efforts to pull illegal firearms off local streets. In July, officers arrested another 26-year-old local resident on firearms charges after recovering an unregistered 9mm handgun from a trash can following a traffic stop near Channel Islands Boulevard. The department also participates in regional task forces such as VC FOCUS alongside the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which conduct joint operations targeting illegal weapons and violent crime across the county, according to edhat.
Investigation Continues as Police Seek Tips
The Oxnard Police Department says the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information can submit anonymous tips through Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477, or contact the department directly at (805) 385-7600.
The department also reminds residents that free firearm cable locks are available at its Property Window inside police headquarters at 251 South C Street, part of a broader push to encourage safe gun storage and reduce theft or unauthorized access to weapons. Whether additional charges, such as negligent discharge of a firearm, will be filed once the case reaches prosecutors has not yet been determined.
