Roundup: Defendants in fairgrounds theft to stand trial; T.O. shooting death investigated

Three accused in fairgrounds theft to stand trial

Three of four Los Angeles County men charged with the theft of more than $500,000 from the Ventura County Fairgrounds in August were ordered Tuesday to stand trial.

Visiting Judge Teresa Mullaney ordered the three defendants to trial following a preliminary hearing lasting a little over a day in Ventura County Superior Court.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Marc Leventhal, who is prosecuting the case, said it’s unclear when the trial will start. All three men have pleaded not guilty.

The judge’s decision came a few days after the fourth defendant, Alexander Piceno, 28, of Baldwin Park, changed his plea to guilty.

The three men ordered to stand trial are Rafael Morales, 56, of La Puente; Carlos Aranda, 44, of Los Angeles; and Jesus Rios, 56, of El Monte. They are facing four felony counts: misappropriation of public money, commercial burglary, grand theft and conspiracy.

All of the defendants were being held in the Ventura County jail system Tuesday. Jail records showed Piceno was not eligible for release and that the others were being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Death in front of T.O. firehouse under investigation

Authorities are investigating a shooting death Tuesday afternoon in front of a Thousand Oaks fire station.

The incident was reported around 12:30 p.m. as an unresponsive man with a gun inside a white SUV, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, which contracts with the city of Thousand Oaks for police services. The vehicle was found parked in front of Fire Station No. 31 on Duesenberg Drive, near the Westlake Village line.

Sheriff's Capt. William Hutton said deputies are not looking for suspects as of Tuesday afternoon, but the death is being investigated by the sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau.

"It's an isolated incident with no threat to the public," Hutton said.

Traffic along Duesenberg Drive, between Los Feliz and Hillcrest drives, was halted for three hours while investigators were out.

Capt. Brian McGrath, a spokesman for Ventura County Fire Department, said firefighters were not at the station when the man was discovered, and they were called back to assist. A county employee reported the incident, he said.

McGrath reminded the public to call 911 when they have an emergency rather than go to a station because firefighters may be away.