Ventura High Football Player Dies After Stabbing Attack

A 17-year-old Ventura High School football player died early Saturday in what his father believes was a gang-related attack after an unknown assailant stabbed his son in the chest, authorities said.

Jesse Owen Martin Strobel died from a knife wound at 1:15 a.m. in the emergency room at Ventura County Medical Center, Deputy Coroner Dale Zentis said.

Jesse had been walking home from a part-time job washing dishes and making deliveries at his father’s pizzeria in Ventura’s Pierpont area when he was attacked, according to police and co-workers.

He was found lying on the front porch of a house in the 300 block of North Catalina Street by a resident at about 11 p.m. Friday, police said, and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. Ventura police issued no additional information as of Saturday evening.

The neighborhood is a residential area about four blocks north of Ventura High School. Jesse was within six blocks of reaching his mother’s house on Sunset Drive. He had made the 1 1/2-mile walk repeatedly since his pickup truck began having transmission trouble.

On Saturday afternoon, Jesse’s father and mother searched the area for clues that might help police find whoever killed their eldest son. The father, John Strobel, said he believes the attack was gang-related.

“Something’s got to be done to stop this,” Strobel said. “My son was not in a gang but he was being hassled by some kids who were.”

Strobel said his son told him two weeks ago that gang members at Ventura High School had severely beaten his best friend and had told the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Jesse, ‘We’re going to get you,’ ” Strobel said.

“I have no proof that my son was killed by gang members, but I can’t think who else would do that,” said Strobel, his eyes puffy from crying. “ . . . Everybody loved my son.”

Jesse, a defensive end on the varsity football team, broke his ribs while practicing last year, but returned to play part time in the Cougars’ final two games, his father said.

Students said Jesse was popular with his classmates.

“He had lots of friends,” said Brody Loring, who had known Jesse since the sixth grade. “There were five of us at school who were really tight. It’s real hard to take. He was the best friend you could ever have.”

Other friends chose to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal.

“There’s going to be a lot of tension at school on Monday,” said one student, a friend of Jesse’s since middle school. “People are going to be upset.”

Jesse Strobel’s death is the third homicide in Ventura County this year, the coroner’s office said.

On Jan. 7, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a robbery suspect in the parking lot of an Oxnard fast-food restaurant. Steven Gutierrez, 25, of Santa Paula died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Wednesday, Alfonso Garza Sanchez, 24, was shot and killed in an alley near Flint and Olive streets in Ventura.

Ventura police have stepped up patrols in some neighborhoods since the Sanchez shooting and two other stabbings last week.

At about 2:30 a.m. Friday, Ventura police found Anthony Ortega, 18, lying unconscious on West Mission Street with four stab wounds to his back. Three hours later, police found Jose Olvera, 30, who had also been stabbed.

Both men were in fair condition at Ventura County Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said Saturday evening.