The Ventura Police Department has closed the case of Arnold Ikeda’s 2016 murder after a detailed cold case review. On March 20, 2016, officers responded to a home in the 400 block of South Evergreen Dr where Ikeda was found deceased from a gunshot wound. Over the years, detectives interviewed more than 20 witnesses, reviewed phone and video records, and conducted forensic testing but could not make an arrest.
Investigators later identified Johnny Caro, also known as Lieutenant or Lou, as the only suspect. Caro was killed in Desert Hot Springs in 2021, and his death remains unsolved. A 2025 review by the Ventura County Cold Case Homicide Unit confirmed that evidence pointed to Caro as the sole person responsible. With the suspect deceased, the case has now been officially closed by exception. The department continues to seek information on 24 other unsolved cold cases…