_See bottom of article for Dec. 19 update._ A Newbury Park veterinarian was arrested this week on suspicion of multiple charges, including assault and battery and illegal possession of an assault weapon and silencer, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office records. Dr. William M. Thomas, 65, faces five felony counts and two misdemeanors, with assault and battery among the latter. The felonies include illegal firearms transfer; possessing a silencer; manufacturing, selling, importing, transporting or lending assault weapons; manufacturing, importing into California, or keeping for sale a short-barreled rifle or shotgun; and possessing an assault weapon. Thomas was arrested Dec. 11 and released on $100,000 bail early the next morning. District attorney charges had not yet appeared on the Ventura County Superior Court website, but sheriff’s office records show he is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 26. The only other case involving Thomas listed on the county’s court website involves a California Fish and Wildlife Code infraction for illegally fishing for spiny lobster in March. Thomas has worked at Midtown Veterinary Clinic in Newbury Park for more than 30 years, according to the clinic’s website. —Becca Whitnall _Update (Posted at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 19, 2026):_ Since the _Acorn_ posted its original article, the Ventura County District Attorney’s office has filed 21 felony charges against William Thomas, Ventura County Superior Court records show. The felonies charged against Thomas Dec. 18 include 15 counts of possessing an assault rifle; four counts of manufacturing, selling or possessing short-barreled rifles or shotguns. Both alleged crimes are considered “wobblers,” meaning the prosecutor’s office has discretion in deciding to charge the crime as a felony or misdemeanor. Severity of the alleged crime, the defendant’s cooperation with law enforcement, his age and strength of the prosecution’s case are among factors often considered in the decision to charge a felony or misdemeanor. Additional felonies charged are possessing a silencer and selling firearms without a dealer’s license. The DA’s office also charged Thomas with domestic battery, a misdemeanor, the court records show.

TOPPLED—A large tree falls onto buildings in a Newbury Park apartment complex Monday following around six and a half inches of rainfall over the weekend. Nobody was hurt, but nearly 20 people were left displaced, authorities said. BECCA WHITNALL/Acorn Newspapers The powerful storm system that swept through Ventura County beginning last Friday, brought lightning, thunder and downpours, dumping just shy of 5 inches of rain in Thousand Oaks and bringing the total so far to 375% of the city’s normal rainfall to date. As of Tuesday morning, when the rain was expected to take a break before returning Thursday, the city’s rain season total had risen to 6.51 inches, according to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District. Normal is 1.74 inches. In all of Ventura County, Matilija Canyon above the Ojai and Meiners Oaks areas saw the largest rainfall at 13.52 inches in the last five days. Closer by, Camarillo received 5.59 inches, Moorpark got 4.97 and Simi Valley was hit with 5.57 inches. With the deluge came warnings. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for the county, which saw ponds created in Oxnard, Ventura and Camarillo farmland and, on Monday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services issued an high danger advisory for the La Conchita community located at the county’s northwestern edge. WET ‘N WILD—A Highway Patrol officer blocks traffic heading south on the 101 Freeway at Hampshire Road the evening of Nov. 15 while an accident is cleared, one of many highway snarls due to the recent rain, including an accident with injuries Nov. 16 on the freeway’s Conejo Grade. JOHN LOESING/Acorn Newspapers The unincorporated area is the site of a 2005 landslide that claimed the lives of 10 people as well as dozens of homes and other structures. The area had experienced a slide a decade earlier as well. “Cumulative rainfall totals observed near La Conchita over the past 14 days now exceed 7.0 inches,” the emergency operations office said. “This amount is similar to the rainfall totals recorded before past landslides. Current rainfall and geological conditions resemble those that contributed to the significant damage in 1995 and 2005.” As of Tuesday morning, no landslides or debris flows had been reported in that area. Nor had any been reported in the parts of Camarillo affected by the Mountain fire, which ravaged the southeastern area of the city a year ago. The city of Thousand Oaks and its outlying areas fared well, said Nader Heydari, Thousand Oaks public works director. “We pre-deployed street, landscape and utility maintenance crews to be in the field on storm patrol during the heaviest parts of the storm to address drainage issues, debris in the roadway and tree damage in real time,” Heydari said. “We appreciate the reports and phone calls that we received during the storm.” Even so, the city wasn’t completely without issue. Wet, slippery roads saw fender benders and full-blown collisions on both city streets and the 101 Freeway. A few private property owners also suffered loss. A large tree in a courtyard of the Hillcrest Park apartment complex in Newbury Park toppled onto the roof of two apartment buildings Monday morning. Neighbors said they heard a large crash at around 11 a.m. that they assumed had come from the nearby 101 Freeway. They said they were surprised when they came outside later and saw the uprooted tree. Some residents expressed concern over additional trees in the complex. Ventura County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies were on hand as the residents of the apartment mostly affected sat outside in the on-again, off-again rain late Monday morning with their pet husky as they awaited information about their home. They didn’t know what their next step would be and hadn’t heard yet from the complex managers about whether there was a vacant apartment into which they could move while their own was being fixed. They were thankful, they said, that nobody had been hurt. Authorities said 18 people were displaced due to the fallen tree. Earlier during the storm, another massive tree fell on a car on Skyline Drive. No injuries were reported in that event either. For storm information, including weather forecasts and advisories, go to vcemergency.com. To report a city issue, go to toaks.gov/service or call (805) 449-2499, Heydari advised.

This is an anonymous survey intended to collect data about the effect of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] on the Thousand Oaks community. The information will be used in an article publi...

Deputies with the Thousand Oaks station responded to the collision near the area of Via Las Brisas and Calle Del Prado shortly after 4 p.m.