FILLMORE, Calif. — A documented Fillmore gang member is behind bars facing multiple firearm and narcotics charges after law enforcement officials served an arrest warrant connected to a 2025 shooting near a neighborhood park, public safety officials announced Thursday. Click here to view the official Ventura County Sheriff's Office Nixle release regarding the arrest of Kristian Morfin.
The major violent crime investigation was led by the Fillmore Patrol Station and the Fillmore Detective Unit with critical technical assistance provided by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory.
Authorities identified the suspect as 24-year-old Kristian Morfin, a resident of Fillmore identified by law enforcement as a known local criminal street gang member.
Neighborhood Shooting and Initial Community Reports
According to an official media release issued by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office under report number 25-32371, the incident originated on the evening of March 16, 2025, at approximately 8:35 p.m.
Alert community members called 911 emergency dispatchers to report multiple gunshots fired near the intersection of Goodenough Road and 4th Street in Fillmore. The shooting occurred in close proximity to a neighborhood park where several juveniles were gathered at the time.
Witnesses informed responding deputies that an adult male exited a vehicle and aggressively chased another automobile down the street moments before a gunshot echoed through the residential area.
Deputies assigned to the Fillmore Patrol Station arrived within minutes, securing the intersection and locating physical evidence confirming that a firearm had been discharged.
Fillmore detectives took over the investigation and, utilizing tips from local residents alongside physical evidence, identified Morfin as the primary suspect in the shooting incident.
Search Warrant Execution, Firearm Seizure, and Crime Lab Analysis
On May 8, 2025, detectives obtained a search warrant for Morfin, his personal residence, and his motor vehicle.
The following day, May 9, 2025, investigators contacted Morfin as he arrived at his workplace in Ventura and executed the search warrants. During a systematic search of his vehicle, detectives located a stolen, loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun concealed underneath the driver's seat.
Morfin was initially arrested on weapons violations and booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility before being released pending detailed forensic and ballistics testing.
Over the subsequent months, criminalists at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory conducted forensic evaluations, ballistics comparisons, and DNA analysis on the recovered 9mm handgun. Crime lab technicians successfully matched the firearm to the physical shell casings and ballistics evidence recovered from the Goodenough Road crime scene, directly connecting Morfin to the weapon and the discharge incident.
"Over the next several months, the Sheriff’s Crime Lab worked diligently and obtained additional evidence linking the firearm to the shooting and Morfin to the firearm," the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office detailed in a public advisory prepared by Sergeant Jarrod Foote.
"On 09/02/2026, Fillmore detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Morfin. At about 1628 hours, deputies from the Fillmore Patrol Station located Morfin loitering at the Rancho Sespe Apartments and arrested him for the felony warrant," public safety officials added.
Arrest at Rancho Sespe Apartments and Formal Charges
Equipped with the completed forensic results, Fillmore detectives secured a formal felony arrest warrant for Morfin.
On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at approximately 4:28 p.m., patrol deputies spotted Morfin loitering in the common area of the Rancho Sespe Apartments in Fillmore. Deputies took him into custody without further incident.
Morfin was transported to the Ventura County Main Jail, where he was booked on a series of felony charges under the California Penal Code and Health & Safety Code:
- PC 246.3(a): Gross Negligent Discharge of a Firearm (Felony)
- HS 11370.1(a): Possession of a Controlled Substance While Armed with a Firearm (Felony)
- PC 25400(a)(1): Carrying a Concealed Firearm Within a Vehicle (Felony)
- PC 25850(c)(6): Carrying a Loaded Firearm in Public or Vehicle (Felony)
- PC 27545: Unlawful Firearm Transfer (Misdemeanor/Felony)
Sheriff's officials confirmed that Morfin remains in custody pending his initial court appearance and arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court.
Community Partnerships and Investigative Contact Information
Law enforcement representatives expressed gratitude to Fillmore residents whose initial 911 calls and neighborhood details were critical in identifying the suspect and removing an illegal firearm from circulation.
Public safety officials emphasize that community cooperation remains vital in deterring gang violence and maintaining neighborhood safety across the Santa Clara River Valley.
Members of the public with additional information regarding this incident or related gang activity are encouraged to contact lead Detective Axel Morales at (805) 477-7011 or via email at Axel.Morales@ventura.org, or Detective Dustin Heersche at (805) 477-7012 or Dustin.Heersche@ventura.org.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), where information leading to an arrest and criminal conviction may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Official releases and public safety updates are accessible on the Ventura County Sheriff's Office Official Nixle Release.