It was an event which left some members of the Conejo Valley’s homeless community worried, and some area residents upset.
A 56-year-old homeless man living at a campsite just off of a busy Thousand Oaks street died. Some thought exposure to the elements killed Brian Asheim. But, just released autopsy result showed the cause of death was something else.
"Mr. Asheim was found unresponsive in his tent, and was pronounced dead by paramedics," said Dr. Christopher Young, who is Ventura County’s Medical Examiner.
"Three days prior to his death, Mr. Asheim was evaluated at a hospital for generalized weakness, nausea, and tremors," said Young. "He was found to have mild hypothermia, and was administered fluids, and released later that day. He appeared to have adequate shelter, bedding and clothing (at the time of his death). The autopsy showed severe heart disease, and liver damage associated with chronic alcoholism. Autopsy and scene findings commonly associated with hypothermia were not present."
Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell put together a news conference to give the community the facts behind the death and to also show a number of steps were already underway to fight the problem.
"It struck a chord with the community. It's important. Someone died alone, and unhoused," said Gorell. He said just a few weeks ago, the county took a number number of new steps to address the problem. One of the biggest is adding a coordinator to oversee the county's efforts to fight homelessness.
The County created a total of 15 new positions last month intended to beef up homelessness relief efforts. The Sheriff’s Office will get 10 positions, including eight deputies focused on working with those on the streets.
Thousand Oaks Police Chief Jeremy Paris said the agency has long had specialized officers to work with the homeless to try to get them the support they need to end up in housing, instead of in jail.
"The Sheriff's Office has recognized for a while now that we need specialized officers to address these problems. That's come in the form of homeless liaison Officers," said Paris. He said they are dedicated, full time officers who only work on homelessness issues. They know the laws, they have relationships with the local homeless community, and they are familiar with resources which are available.
In Thousand Oaks, there’s a new initiative underway to create a facility to help people transition from homelessness to housing. Ingrid Hardy is Assistant City Manager. She said they are preparing to build, and open a navigation center, which is a 30 bed facility to get people off the streets, supportive services, and headed towards permanent housing.
But, Gorell admits there is no simple solution to the decades old problem. "The plight of every one of our unhoused neighbors is complicated, and each has its own challenges to address," said Gorell.
