The killing of a mother and her teenage son in Oxnard Sept. 12 brought the total number of homicides in the county this year to 20, one more than in all of 2007.

In 2007, the Ventura County Medical Examiner's office counted 19 homicides, the lowest number since the office began keeping track in 1974.

The office defines a homicide as one person's death at the hands of another.

Here are the numbers of homicides in each Ventura County city so far this year:

Simi Valley - 3
Oxnard - 9
Port Hueneme - 2
El Rio - 1
Newbury Park - 1
Moorpark - 1
Camarillo - 2
Thousand Oaks - 1

These numbers come from our Crime Map, which we update as homicides occur. The number has not been cross checked with the Medical Examiner's office.

Related links:

Ventura County's homicide rate at record low in 2007

Homicide Map

Early this morning, an apparently disoriented 88-year-old Huntington Beach man headed out for a Taco Bell and ended up crashing into a light standard in Oxnard, roughly 90 miles away, police said.  The man did not appear to be hurt.

Accidents involving disoriented elderly drivers are fairly common, and discussions about traffic safety and seniors behind the wheel are happening worldwide.

Here are some examples of recent stories involving accidents and elderly drivers, and the debate around the issue:

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/dec/16/behind-the-wheel-exams-sought-for-drivers-65-and/

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/may/14/2-families-displaced-when-car-plows-into-public/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-05-02-older-drivers-usat1a_N.htm

http://www.aarp.org/family/articles/older_drivers_and_auto_safety.html

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-md.drive30jun30,0,2891702.story

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=c98c551e-16b3-4977-976a-0a056c818fdb

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/16836935/detail.html

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/52206