A man was taken into custody while investigators worked the scene.
Officers contacted a man who had an outstanding arrest warrant. During that contact, officers located suspected devices and fabrication materials in his vehicle, prompting them to clear the immediate area.
The 3100 block of Saviers Road sits along a dense commercial strip of retail storefronts, service businesses, and dining spots on one of South Oxnard's primary north-south arterial roads, according to the Oxnard Police Department. That made the evacuation a disruptive one for the surrounding storefronts during Sunday evening hours, though police say affected businesses were notified once the scene was declared safe.
Bomb Squad Renders Devices Safe
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad responded to the scene and rendered the devices safe, per the police department's account.
Every sworn technician on the squad completes a six-week Hazardous Devices School program run jointly by the FBI and the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office notes. In July, the squad evacuated Point Mugu State Beach and carried out a controlled detonation after surfers uncovered a live, unexploded Korean War-era Super Bazooka rocket buried in the sand, as reported by Surfer Magazine. Two months before that, relatives clearing out a deceased veteran's belongings discovered items that posed possible explosive hazards at a Thousand Oaks home.
Charges and What Comes Next
Oxnard police say the man was arrested on charges related to possession of a destructive device, possession of materials with intent to manufacture a destructive device, and possession of a destructive device in certain public places. Officers believe there is no further danger to the public following the response.
The specific charges track closely with California's destructive-device statutes. Possessing materials with intent to manufacture a destructive device without a valid permit is a felony under Penal Code Section 18720, punishable by two, three, or four years in state prison and fines up to $10,000, according to the Shouse Law Group.
Public arrest logs compiled by Local Crime News show Rettberg was previously arrested in Ventura County in April 2024 on suspicion of disobeying a domestic relations court order. The exact nature and composition of the devices found in his vehicle, along with the status of the warrant that first brought officers to the scene, have not been detailed in police's public account.
Police Seek Tips as Investigation Continues
Commander Kevin Baysinger is listed as the contact for the release and can be reached at 805-385-7600 or by email at [email protected]. Oxnard police are asking anyone with information to call that number or file a report online at oxnardpd.org, and Ventura County Crime Stoppers is accepting anonymous tips at 800-222-8477 or through venturacountycrimestoppers.org.
The incident adds to a string of enforcement activity along the Saviers Road corridor over the past couple of years, including a traffic-stop weapons arrest in the adjacent 2900 block last year.
