MOORPARK : Fence Proposed to Halt Car Vandalism

The owner of a Moorpark theater has proposed building an eight-foot fence on city-managed property that the theater uses as a parking lot after vandals smashed the windows of six theatergoers’ cars.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Lt. Geoffrey Dean said deputies believe that the vandalism at the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama & Vaudeville Co. was sparked by the riots in Los Angeles last week. One arrest was made in connection with the incident.

Linda Bredemann, the theater’s owner, asked the City Council on Wednesday to allow her to build a 450-foot-long chain-link fence on High Street to discourage future vandalism.

“It’s worth it to me just so the image of the city and my theater won’t be damaged anymore,” Bredemann told the council. She said she would pay for the fence.

Bredemann said there have been six separate vandalism incidents against theatergoers’ cars in the past six years at the High Street lot, across from the theater.

But Saturday’s incident was the worst, she said. Six theater patrons returned to their cars after 10:30 p.m. to find that rocks had been hurled at their windshields.

Bredemann said she wants to erect a fence along the railroad tracks, which are set back from High Street. It would cost at least $3,600, she said.

The property is owned by the Ventura County Transportation Commission but managed by the city. City officials told Bredemann that they support her idea but need approval from the commission.