On a Saturday morning in Camarillo, California, the life of 48-year-old Stephen L. Worthington was tragically cut short in an act of violence that concluded with a dramatic chase and the suicide of the suspect. Just before 11:45 a.m. on January 31, 2026, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the 400 block of Walker Avenue following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Worthington in front of his residence, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate life-saving efforts of the deputies and subsequently the Ventura County Fire Department, Worthington succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Witnesses at the scene provided a crucial lead, describing the shooter as a heavy-set male who fled in a red hatchback-style vehicle with out-of-state license plates. This description allowed law enforcement to quickly identify a suspect vehicle. The suspect was later identified as Steven Green, a 42-year-old resident of Camarillo. Green was driving a red Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was later confirmed to be a rental car from Hertz with Nevada license plates.
Shortly after the shooting, sheriff's deputies located Green's vehicle traveling southbound on the 101 Freeway. When they attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Green refused to yield, triggering a high-speed pursuit that saw speeds exceed 100 miles per hour. Due to the dangerous speeds, deputies initially lost sight of the vehicle. However, they had the foresight to contact the rental car company, Hertz, who were able to provide real-time GPS tracking of the fleeing Trailblazer. This allowed authorities to follow Green's movements even when he was out of visual range.
The chase continued towards Los Angeles County, where the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Airport Police joined the effort. Near Los Angeles International Airport, in the vicinity of Imperial Highway and South Inglewood Avenue, Hertz remotely disabled the vehicle, bringing the pursuit to an abrupt halt. A standoff of 30 to 40 minutes ensued as law enforcement attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender. Ultimately, when an armored vehicle from the LAXPD approached the driver's side, Green was found to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
While the events of that tragic Saturday are clear, the motive behind the murder of Stephen L. Worthington remains unknown. Investigators have not released any information regarding a possible relationship or connection between Worthington and his killer, Steven Green, leaving a community to grapple with a senseless act of violence.
