Teen intentionally ran over woman at California high school, authorities say

CAMARILLO, Calif. – A 16-year-old who’d had his driver’s license for one day deliberately ran over a woman with a vehicle at Thousand Oaks High School, leaving her in critical condition and leading to the teen’s arrest, authorities said Saturday.

The teenager was attending a basketball game Friday evening at the school.

Shortly before 8:15 p.m., the woman and a school administrator allegedly caught the boy stealing packaged food items from a concession stand, according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Eric Buschow. The woman was later identified as an employee of the Conejo Valley Unified School District and a parent of children attending district schools.

After being caught stealing, the teen fled to a Mercedes-Benz sedan in the parking lot, Buschow said. 

The woman stood in front of the vehicle and told the teen to stop, Buschow said.

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“He accelerated the car and ran the woman over,” Buschow said.

The initial blow from the vehicle knocked the woman down, sheriff’s officials said. The teen then continued driving over her, causing critical injuries, before fleeing the scene, according to authorities.

The woman, a 50-year-old Thousand Oaks resident, suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to authorities. She was in critical but stable condition as of Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

On Saturday morning, the Conejo Valley Unified School District issued a statement on Twitter saying she worked at the high school.

“We are heartbroken that a member of our CVUSD family suffered life threatening injuries during an incident that occurred outside last night’s basketball game at Thousand Oaks High School,” district Superintendent Mark McLaughlin said in the tweet. “Mrs. Lisa Solis, Activities Assistant for Thousand Oaks High School, is a dedicated member of the TOHS team, and a parent of CVUSD students. Please keep Lisa and her family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Investigators identified the teen as the suspect in the hit-and-run and found him at his Newbury Park home, Buschow said. He was found to be a student of the district but did not attend Thousand Oaks High, authorities said.

He was arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and booked at the county’s juvenile justice center, according to authorities.

Authorities are continuing to investigate, Buschow said.