Oxnard—We will always remember Oxnard Police Deputy Constable Andrew McNaughton, who was shot and killed 120 years ago, while on foot patrol in the former Tenderloin District of Oxnard.
EXCERPT from the Ventura Free Press, March 23, 1906:
- VIGILANT NIGHT WATCHMAN MEETS DEATH AT HANDS OF COWARDLY THUGS MURDER CALLS FOR PROMPT ACTION
“A night watchman of the City of Oxnard and a gallant officer, was found murdered during the hours of Friday night and his body was found in the muddy alley of the Chinatown quarters at an early hour this morning. There is absolutely no clue as to the identity of the assassins. McNaughton has been a terror to evil and only recently raided a gambling den...
McNaughton was a married man with four small children.”
One suspect was arrested days later. On November 1, 1909, another suspect was arrested in Los Angeles. He gave the location of the third suspect, also the gunman, who was arrested four days later in El Paso, Texas.
Two trials for murder of the first suspect ended with hung juries. With new information from the other two, he was to be tried a third time. He went insane and was…
