Woman arrested on suspicion of vandalizing Ventura deputies' patrol cars

SATICOY, VENTURA (KABC) -- A woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of vandalizing two Ventura County sheriff's deputies' patrol cars.

Around 8 p.m. on May 7, deputies from the sheriff's station in Saticoy searched for a suspect with outstanding arrest warrants. They parked their patrol cars in the area of D. Street and Los Angeles Avenue to search for the suspect on foot.

While they were searching, the deputies received an emergency call near Faria Beach. As the pair returned to their patrol cars to respond to the call, they found the vehicles had been heavily damaged.

A suspect cracked the front windshield on one unit and shattered the rear windshield on another. Authorities said the two deputies couldn't respond to the call because of the severity of damage to the cars and other deputies responded.

An investigation into the vandalism was launched and a suspect was identified as Melonie Hernandez. On Thursday, authorities found Hernandez in the 1200 block of Aster Street and arrested her.

While the deputies transported her to the Ventura County Main Jail, authorities said she vandalized the inside of the unit.

She was booked on felony vandalism and on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Her bail was set at $15,000 and she is scheduled to appear in court Monday.