VENTURA, Calif. — An incarcerated Moorpark man awaiting trial for severe child abuse offenses faces additional felony charges after law enforcement officials uncovered an illegal scheme coordinated from his jail cell to intimidate witnesses and stop them from testifying in court, public safety officials announced.
The suspect, 50-year-old Anthony Perez of Moorpark, was supplementally booked on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at approximately 12:30 p.m. at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura.
According to an official law enforcement notification released by Sergeant Francisco Jauregui, Perez was originally arrested on April 26, 2023, by the Simi Valley Police Department for lewd acts upon a child. Following his initial 2023 booking, Perez remained in custody at the county jail facility as his underlying criminal case worked its way through the Ventura County Superior Court system.
Multi-Agency Probe Uncovers Jailhouse Intimidation Scheme
The witness tampering investigation began in March 2025, when detectives assigned to the Moorpark Investigation Unit uncovered intelligence suggesting Perez was actively attempting to contact and intimidate key prosecution witnesses in the Simi Valley child abuse case.
Moorpark detectives expanded their surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts over the following months. By late June 2026, the scope of the operation expanded, bringing in investigators from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigations, the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau, the Special Crimes Unit, and specialized enforcement teams from both Moorpark and West County.
Inter-agency investigators gathered evidence demonstrating that Perez was actively utilizing outside associates in Moorpark and Simi Valley to execute his intimidation campaign, issuing threats of force against witnesses to prevent their appearance at upcoming court hearings.
Simultaneous Search Warrants Net Critical Evidence
On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, detectives executed coordinated search warrants at two residential properties linked to Perez's outside associates:
- Simi Valley: A residence in the 300 block of Aristotle Street, where an adult female associate (25) was contacted.
- Moorpark: A residence in the 14000 block of Avenida Colonia, where an adult male associate (51) was contacted.
During the execution of both residential search warrants, detectives recovered incriminating physical and digital evidence corroborating the witness dissuasion plot.
Simultaneously, detectives served a judicial search warrant directly inside Perez’s cell at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility at 800 South Victoria Avenue in Ventura. Inside the cell, investigators seized additional physical evidence directly connecting Perez to the organized witness intimidation campaign.
Following the evidence recoveries, Perez was supplementally arrested and booked on two felony counts of violating California Penal Code Section 136.1(c)(1)—dissuading a witness or victim by force or threat of force.
"Through the course of the investigation, detectives located evidence indicating Perez was contacting his associates in an attempt to dissuade witnesses from testifying in the underlying Simi Valley case," the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office detailed in an official news release.
"Perez was subsequently contacted at the Pre-Trial Jail Facility, where detectives served a search warrant of his jail cell. Additional evidence related to the dissuasion of a witness and witness intimidation was located inside Perez’ jail cell," public safety officials confirmed in their official narrative.
District Attorney Charges and Legal Next Steps
The completed investigative file was formally presented to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, which elected to file two felony counts of witness intimidation against Perez. Perez appeared in court for an arraignment hearing on Friday, August 14, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Ventura County Superior Court.
Attempting to subvert the judicial process through witness tampering represents a grave threat to the integrity of the criminal justice system, particularly in sensitive cases involving child victims. Under California Penal Code 136.1(c)(1), attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness or victim from giving testimony using threats of violence carries severe, non-probationable state prison enhancements that run consecutive to underlying criminal charges.
Law enforcement agencies utilize advanced monitoring technologies, mail screening protocols, and recorded phone call auditing inside detention facilities to ensure incarcerated defendants cannot orchestrate illegal activities from behind bars.
Detectives emphasize that associates outside of custody who assist inmates in relaying threats or harassing witnesses face felony conspiracy and witness intimidation charges.
The multi-agency investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with additional information regarding this incident or related witness tampering efforts is urged to contact lead Detective Nathaniel Rushing at (805) 384-4722 or via email at Nathaniel.Rushing@Venturacounty.Gov.
Members of the public wishing to remain anonymous can submit tips through Ventura County Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-8477 or visiting venturacountycrimestoppers.org. Official agency releases can also be accessed directly through the Ventura County Sheriff's Office Nixle portal.