Stabbing Victim Survives Vicious Attack
Oak View man survives New Year’s Day attack in Ojai in an apparent attempted murder
By Lenny Roberts
According to his father, it’s a classic example of wrong place, wrong time.
Fresno resident Jerry Powers said Monday his 27-year-old son, Oak View resident Joshua Ray Powers, was left for dead in the 200 block of Waite Street at 1:30 a.m. News Year’s Day after being stabbed 17 times about his side and back. “They sliced both sides of his shoulder blades down to bone. They were trying to cut his spinal cord,” the elder Powers alleged.
The victim, a former local forestry worker and Ojai resident, had recently returned to the valley after working construction in New York until about a month ago. He and his wife, who works at a local restaurant, just learned they are parents-to-be, according to Jerry Powers.
“He was walking home from party with a friend,” Powers said. But the victim soon found himself alone when the friend was given a ride just before the attack. “He isn’t real clear on what happened. By the grace of God, someone passed by and saw a body laying in the gutter. He would have bled to death.”
According to the police report, the victim was transported by ambulance to the Ojai Valley Community Hospital in critical condition.
Notified of the attack by a relative, Powers made the four-hour trip from Fresno and was initially told by hospital officials his son would spend three to four weeks in the hospital because of his extensive injuries. Powers arrived to see his son in a drug-induced coma.
His prognosis improved on Sunday, however, and, according to the senior Powers, he was taken off the coma-inducing drugs and was able to walk to the bathroom with his father’s help.
Sheriff’s Special Services Commander and former Ojai Police Chief Gary Pentis said Tuesday there was not much information in the case and the public’s help is needed. “It was a vicious attack with in excess of 13 stab wounds, and it appears to be an attempted murder,” Pentis said.
Anyone with information related to this incident is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Department at 646-1414.
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous and the call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 494-TALK.
Amazing that a town like Ojai has such crimes. Ojai is filled with wannabe gang bangers. Attacking random victims is a sure sign of wannabe activity. The so called gang bangers in Ojai are just a bunch of punks! You reading this you wannabees? Those of you in Ojai gangs are cowards!
WHOEVER DID THIS NEEDS TO BE HUNG AND STABBED A 1000 TIMES …YOU WILL GET CAUGHT SOONER OR LATER YOU LIL RASCAL , WEISEL (offensive-deleted for publication) ,,,, IF ANY ONE KNOWS WHO DID THIS YOU CAN REPORT IT ANONYMOUSLY AND GET LOTS OF CASH….THIS A – HOLE DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED FOR WHAT HE DID …SOMEONE OUT THERE KNOWS SOMETHING AND YOU ARE JUST AS GUILTY IF YOU DONT TELL THE POLICE OR HAVE SOMEONE ELSE TELL THEM FOR YOU …YOU WONT GET IN TROUBLE FOR TELLING …NOONE WILL KNOW AND THIS LIL (offensive-deleted for publication) WILL GET WHAT HE DESERVES NOW ~!!!!!
EVERYONE THAT KNOWS SOMETHING SHOULD STEP UP AND HELP THIS (offensive-deleted for publication) THAT DID THIS GET ARRESTED ..ITS NOT COOL TO GO AROUND STRABBING PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY LOOKED AT YOU THE WRONG WAY ..REAL MEN FIGHT FIST WITH FIST ..THE POOR GUY THAT THIS HAPPENED TO WAS PROB JUST MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS AND WAS JUST IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME …WHOEVER STABBED HIM IS OBVIOUSLY NOT COOL ENOUGH OR MAN ENOUGH TO FIGHT TOE 2 TOE …IF IT WAS A BRAWL THE GUY THAT GOT STABBED PROB WOULD OF BEAT THE (offensive-deleted for publication) OUTTA THE LIL COWARD THATS WHY THEY CARRY KNIVES AND GUNS BECAUSE THEY CANT DEFEND THEIRSELVES WITH OUT THOSE WEAPONS ….YOU EVER HEARD OF THE SONG FROM 311 GUNS ARE FOR (offensive-deleted for publication)….ITS TRUE …WHOEVER DID THIS IS PROB RUNNING SCARED LOOKING BEHIND THEI BACK EVERY SECOND …SOONER OR LATER HE WILL PISS SOMEONE OFF AND THE 1,000 REWARD MONEY WILL START LOOKING REALLY NICE …ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME TILL THIS COWARD GETS CAUGHT ….I HATE ANYONE THAT THINKS THIS IS OK…THESE LIL (offensive-deleted for publication) NEED TO BE CAUIGHT ..IT COULD BE UR FRIEND OR RELATIVE NEXT …THINK ABOUT THAT
things happen because nobody cares until they do
Dumb period white or as the case may be white.
Race of victim or aggressor does not justify the crime.
Waite st,Drown st,Blanche st
Whats the difference it was in ojai in close range of the police station.
Real crime occurs no one is ever guaranteed safe or immune but the community can work together to make the person or persons accountable for the crime even if its just a skinhead.
Just trying to start a conversation not WWIII
“To: down with,
There was no homicide there 15 years ago you moron.”
{Jasper was killed the same way but with an icepick 15 or so years ago.}
{I don’t know any parties involved just my OPINION}
I did not specify a time or a place but don’t hold back call me all the things you get called at work.(McDonald’s)
“Why don’t you say who you are since you like saying other people’s names you coward.”
Why so you can try to stab me??
I see your name matches your personality(s).
The Moore’s were nice people I am not slandering them at all unlike you are to me!!!
Only heard about jasper from word or mouth at the time not stating it as fact.
Moron,coward and sex offender WOW all I said is I recall an event that occured.
Try growing a brain miracle grow works well I hear!
I have a good feeling you would not say those things in person:( but on line MR.COURAGE.
Aim that aggression at the enemy unless you are the enemy???
“Your probably on the sex offenders list thats why you don’t say who you are.”
Do you live under high voltage lines?
They don’t let pedophiles have computers.Sherlock
What other attack do you have?
It must have taken all of your micro sized brain power to come up with that one!!
hey where were you April of 93′??
running around ojai with an ice pick perhaps.
Anonymous
19 Jan 09 at 7:34 pm
LMMFAO…
Ryan Dale Burchell is a know white supremacist. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison for committing a hate crime in 2005. That right this piece of white trash, after being sentenced to 12 years for the homicide Jasper Fitzgerald, was sentenced again for being a stupid white boy.
It happen at a party on 600 block of Blanche Street, on a friday, in April in 1993.
Ryan Burchell of Ojai & Anthony Peterson, 18 of ventura were the ones who were resposible for that stabbing. It was just dumb white boys who did that. That homicide had nothing to do with anybody who hung around Wait St. or Drown St.
But not on wait st.
19–year–old Jasper Fitzgerald was stabbed to death with an ice pick during a party in Ojai in April 1993.
To: down with,
There was no homicide there 15 years ago you moron. Why don’t you say who you are since you like saying other people’s names you coward. Your probably on the sex offenders list thats why you don’t say who you are.
The Moore’s that lived on the corner behind valero kept things cool for a long time not sure if the new management got the memo regarding knifings in ojai.
Jasper was killed the same way but with an icepick 15 or so years ago.
I don’t know any parties involved just my opinion
Always have a good sense of humor about these things as they seem to happen so often now.
I an sorry for the parents of this kid no one asks for this kind of thing and am in no way making fun of the situation
down with osl andtherest, you are such a loser.
Anonymous
18 Jan 09 at 3:19 pm
Thanks have you ever thought about a career in motivational speaking or dog training ???
I have to admit you made me laugh my a– off, unfortunetly I still think all Waite street people are cool, the would be murderer is from out-of-town. I don’t know this for sure, I just feel it in my heart. If it gives you grist for your mill, then why not speculate about all the really odd ball chance people that could be the would be murderer. The only problems I have ever had as a resident of Ojai are from people from 20 miles out of town. I won’t name cities out of respect for our neighbors.
down with osl andtherest, you are such a loser.
You will too!
Anonymous
17 Jan 09 at 3:25 pm
“I walk down Waite street freely any time I want.”
Good for you!
“I’m white, female and not worried one iota.”
Most whites feel the same way strange!
“The residents, often in front of their homes are always friendly.”
Yes throwing up osl and ms13.
“I always say hi to the people on Waite st. it is a friendlier street then some of the other places in Ojai.”
Yeah grey gabbles is turning into south central.
“The person who did this is probably from out of town.”
He must have not heard of our no stabbing ordinance.
yes an out of towner that’s it!
“I can’t even count how many times I have been creeped out by people from cities over 20 miles away that are at my street to solicit me to buy magazines or other stuff.”
You can count right 13 times and no one saw or heard anything.
15 mi is not so creepy.
“Some of them can be angry if you say no.”
Than tell them f#@$ no!
“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the stabber was just an angry “salesman” that got rebuffed.”
Stabber is the technical name let’s call him the person with sharp negotiating skills
at 1:30am or what ever time it was after 12:00am i can see it now.
Stabber
Hey man you want sports illustrated 24 copies for the low price of 29.95 billed bimonthly?
Stabby
No man get the hell out of here man its 1:30 in the morning!
Stabber
Common 29.95 I got play boy too man!
stabby
No cant you hear me I said no!
Stabber
Stick stick and on and on 13 times then the stabber said to him self man i just lost another sale
time to move to another town.
“I hope the victim regains some better memory of what happened, that would be really helpful. Instead of all this speculation.”
Life is full of speculation.
Ojai hiker
18 Jan 09 at 11:11 am
I walk down Waite street freely any time I want. I’m white, female and not worried one iota. The residents, often in front of their homes are always friendly. I always say hi to the people on Waite st. it is a friendlier street then some of the other places in Ojai. The person who did this is probably from out of town. I can’t even count how many times I have been creeped out by people from cities over 20 miles away that are at my street to solicit me to buy magazines or other stuff. Some of them can be angry if you say no. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the stabber was just an angry “salesman” that got rebuffed. I hope the victim regains some better memory of what happened, that would be really helpful. Instead of all this speculation.
He got what he was looking for.
To the ones who stabbed a guy in the neck,
skin or not has just as much right to walk where he pleases I never change course in the “bad spots” but I don’t go starten s!@# ether.
The “issue” is cowards who stab some one in the back. The alleged skin was most likely not armed and alone only one group I know of that pulls that crap around here
Trust me they all know how i feel about them.
Anonymous
16 Jan 09 at 6:27 pm
you are hidding
I ‘m curious, what was a skin head doing walking down that street on that day at that time?
I think that all those who have an issue with the people they accuse or supect of doing this should man up and tell them. Stop hiding behind your computer. Just tell them what you think about them.
Interesting, but usual =)
ya ya ya
it’s not just waite street. there are decent as well as indecent people residing there.
people want to believe that this idyllic town of ours is immune to crime. it is not. there are rapes, murders, hate motivated crimes, and more. we just don’t want to believe when it happens. go to your local bars and you can feel the hate in the air, infused with alcohol, and anything will happen.
You all talk to much.
Seriously take a drive down Waite Street, behind Valero and then tell me you don’t know who did it…?? Come on!! The for “For Rent” sign is in front. Check it out!!
This town blog only gets outraged when they see the “bad guys” in handcuffs.
Then they are fearless shaking fists and typing RABBLE RABBLE.
To those mitten wearing knife wilding cowards y r u backstabbing 4 homies.
But seriously why live in a place that does not match the type of person you are most of ojai is honest hard working them there is you,go find some rivals and do what you think you were born to do die!!!!
come on… waite street? think about it. who lives on waite street? should’nt be too hard to figure out.
I’m really glad somebody else in this town realizes that there is a major problem with drugs and crime in Ojai. Meth has been a major issue for years in this town and so have the puny little punk gangs, which aren’t as puny as they once were. They’re not out to just beat you up – they’re out for blood. People don’t want to believe that this quiet little town is just like those you hear about on the evening news. Pull your heads out of your butts and wake up!
We have a major problem in the valley with drugs and crime. Meth is being produced all over this valley, and it is in our high schools. Wake up Ojai the problem is here and will stay if we do nothing.
“It was a vicious attack with in excess of 13 stab wounds, and it appears to be an attempted murder,” Pentis said.
What about street terrorism,conspiracy to do great bodily harm,use and possession of a deadly weapon to commit a felony similar to what happened on bald street a month or 2 ago.
Ojai is a very small town its hard to believe no one heard anything when police are called so much over dog barking,loud TV or music (most disturbance calls).
Time to buy a gun, did the *@#!%! *#*@! that did the stabbing have a knife permit?
Of course no witnesses on that block heard the screams of the victim or the chants of the attempted killers?
I’m no detective but I am guessing that it was not any of the law abiding homies that live on that street.
I refuse to believe this was a random first stabbing of the year some ones putting in work for their hood.
Thanks for the update! Is there anything that Mr. Powers and his wife need as he recovers and they prepare for the birth of their child? I am assuming he will be out of work for some time. It would be nice to be able to show the better side of our community.
Becky