When the 911 call came in for a noise disturbance at an address along Grimes Canyon Road a few weeks ago, sheriff’s deputies had
a pretty good idea what they would find. When they drove down the dirt road, they said there were live bands, horses trotting around a ring, roping demonstrations and more than 200 people who paid to be part of the festivities, officials said. For the third time in a year, Francisco Vigil, 43, was cited for a host of violations stemming from what officials say was an illegal rodeo held on his land without the needed permits. “It’s one thing if you have 20 members of your family and friends over, but when you have hundreds of people and you have a line of people taking money from them, it’s a whole different deal,” said Liz Cameron, senior code compliance officer with the Ventura County Resource Management Agency. Vigil said the whole thing is misconstrued, that he was just hosting his nephew’s band as a charity event and the music got too loud. “It wasn’t a rodeo,” he said. “It’s a big misunderstanding.” Because it’s the third time Vigil has been cited, Cameron said she’s going to ask the district attorney to place him on probation when his misdemeanor case goes before a judge. He was charged with suspicion of illegal land use and operating without a business permit for the Aug. 23 gathering.
Last year he was found guilty of unlawful land use for an August 2008 event and a month later was charged for disturbing the peace at another event. He pleaded guilty.