Suspect arrested
By Lenny Roberts

A 20-year-old man was taken into custody by Sheriff's deputies Thursday afternoon on suspicion of the earlier alleged robbery of California Air on North Ventura Avenue in Oak View. The suspect, who witnesses said may have been a former employee of the business, crashed his Ford pickup truck into a vehicle on Highway 33 near Mahoney Avenue and left the scene, witnesses told California Highway Patrol officers.
Taken into custody for questioning was Eric Sonerson, who was arrested without incident at his Mariano Drive residence a short time after the incidents. It was not known if the alleged robbery was committed with a weapon or the threat of a weapon.
The unidentified vehicle that was allegedly struck by Sonerson's truck sustained visible front right-side damage, but it was not immediately known if its occupants were injured. At the Mariano Drive address, CHP officers examined Sonerson's truck, which displayed left-front damage.
Deputies arrived at California Air after being told the store had been robbed of approximately $500 by a man wearing a stocking mask. Sources said the money was recovered.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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