Full Notification

Nature of Incident: Narcotics Arrest

Report Number: 18-144443

Location: Thousand Oaks / Malibu

Date & Time: September 27th, 2018

Unit(s) Responsible: Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit (PCU)

Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU)

Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit (SEU)

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age

(S) Donovan Ruiz

Malibu

23

Narrative:

On September 27th 2018, detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Interagency

Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit (PCU) assisted by the Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit

(DEU) and the Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) concluded a two week narcotic

investigation into Donovan Ruiz, who was involved in the sales of suspected Fentanyl to

residents of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Ruiz is suspected of being the source of supply

of Fentanyl to many users in Ventura County. Fentanyl sold by Ruiz was eventually consumed

by a victim in the city of Thousand Oaks who later overdosed and died.

Detectives located and detained Ruiz in Malibu and served a signed search warrant at his

residence located in the 25000 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. During this

investigation detectives were able to seize evidence related to Ruiz’s selling of illegal controlled

substances.

Page 2 of 2

Ruiz was booked into custody at the Ventura County Main Jail facility for 11352 H&S – Sales of a

controlled substance. Additional charging enhancements related to the overdose death are

probable. Ruiz’s bail was set at $500,000 and he is scheduled to be arraigned in Ventura County

Superior Court on Monday October 1st at 1:30PM.

The Ventura County Interagency Pharmaceutical Crimes Unit is a task force made up of

members from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Thousand Oaks Police Department, the

California Highway Patrol, the Simi Valley Police Department, and the Ventura Police

Department. The primary mission of the task force is combatting the transfer of legal prescription

medication to the illegal market. In addition, the task force works to identify and stop new trends

of abuse among the younger population and investigates overdoses due to both prescription

medication and illicit drug use.

The public may also anonymously use the email [email protected] to report pharmaceutical

related crimes involving prescription medications.

Prepared by: Sergeant Matthew Young

News Release Date: September 27th 2018

Media Follow-Up Contact: Captain Garo Kuredjian

805-654-2417

Approved by: Captain Jeff Miller