Ventura County Sheriff – Incident Press Release
Deputies responding to a call of suspicious subjects in Camarillo arrested two Southern California residents for multiple felonies, including firearm, drug, and property related crimes.
On July 10, 2020, patrol deputies responded to a call of a suspicious subject at Rite Aid in Camarillo. When deputies arrived on scene, they observed the subjects of the call in a vehicle accelerating quickly away from the area. Responding units were able to catch up to the vehicle and conduct a traffic stop.
Deputies contacted the driver, Art Housey, and conducted a records check of him. Deputies learned Housey was on probation and had a felony warrant for his arrest out of Los Angeles. Housey was arrested for the warrant and was found to be in possession of methamphetamine.
After removing the passenger, Rafaella Benoit, from the vehicle, deputies invoked Housey’s probation terms and searched the vehicle and located an unregistered 9mm semi-automatic handgun and ammunition.
During the search, deputies also located numerous items of stolen mail. The mail was addressed to more than 50 people from 22 different jurisdictions throughout California. Deputies also located multiple debit cards that appeared to be stolen, along with items of drug paraphernalia.
Many of the items of stolen property were determined to originate from a residential burglary in Thousand Oaks. Sheriff’s detectives from the Thousand Oaks Police Department were notified and conducted follow-up investigation on the residential burglary.
Housey and Benoit were arrested for conspiracy, burglary, mail theft, possession of identifying information of more than 10 people, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a controlled substance with a firearm. Housey was also arrested for the felony warrant out of Los Angeles.
Housey and Benoit were booked at the Main Jail and both remain in custody.
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