THOUSAND OAKS : 9 Arraignments in Drive-By Postponed

Arraignment for nine men suspected of conspiracy in connection with a drive-by shooting in Thousand Oaks was postponed Friday.

Defendants asked a Ventura County Superior Court judge for time to retain their own attorneys. The men are scheduled to be arraigned July 9 on conspiracy to commit assault with a firearm and conspiracy to commit force likely to produce great bodily injury, Deputy Dist. Atty. Peter E. Brown said.

The prosecution of one 17-year-old youth is being handled in Juvenile Court.

The Small Town Hoods gang is suspected of shooting at a house on Greenwich Drive April 27. No one was injured in the attack, but five bullets from a small-caliber weapon were fired into the home by passengers of three cars.

Witnesses said the passengers yelled “S.T.H.” as they passed, an acronym for Small Town Hoods.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Thursday raided houses and seized weapons and alleged gang paraphernalia.

Five of the suspects were arrested after the Ventura County grand jury issued indictments against 11 members of the Small Town Hoods. One suspect, Aaron Jensen, remains at large.

The six being held Friday in County Jail were Adolfo A. Alvarez, 19, and Marc Dean, 22, both of Thousand Oaks; Scott M. Kastan, 18, of La Jolla; Nickolas C. Pupich, 20, of Oxnard; Tam Nguyen, 19, and Wade S. Caddin, 19, both of Newbury Park.

George Avina, 18, and Joseph A. Cruz, 23, of Thousand Oaks, and John M. Pinkham, 21, of Ventura, were released after posting bail.