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OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
| INCIDENT: | Suspicious Hit and Run Death is Oxnard’s 7th Homicide; Suspect Arrested |
| DATE/TIME: | June 5, 2019, 5:30 P.M. |
| LOCATION: | West Alley of the 2000 block of Mariposa Street, Oxnard |
| VICTIM(S): | Ricardo Torres Rojas, 30-year old Oxnard Resident |
| SUSPECT(S): | Pedro Guzman Gutierrez, 35-year old Oxnard Resident |
| PREPARED BY: | Sergeant Scott Aaron (805) 385-7763 Scott.Aaron@Oxnardpd.org |
| MEDIA FOLLOW-UP CONTACT: | Sergeant Scott Aaron (805) 385-7763 Scott.Aaron@Oxnardpd.org Commander Sharon Giles (805) 385-7620 Sharon.Giles@Oxnardpd.org |
DETAILS:
This afternoon, Oxnard Police Department Major Crimes detectives arrested a person in connection with the May 11 hit and run death of 30-year old Oxnard resident, Ricardo Torres Rojas in the west alley of the 2000 block of Mariposa Street.
On May 11, 2019, at about 11:40 A.M., Oxnard Police Department officers responded to an incident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on the 1300 block of Bluebell Street. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Mr. Rojas lying in the roadway. Mr. Rojas was transported by ambulance to the Ventura County Medical Center, and he succumbed to his injuries.
From the start of the investigation, detectives sought to determine if the cause of Mr. Rojas’ death was the result of a traffic collision or an intentional act. Major Crimes investigators interviewed numerous people who provided valuable information, canvassed the neighborhood and located video of the incident. Based on the evidence gathered, investigators were able to confirm that Gutierrez struck Mr. Rojas with his vehicle, dragging him under the vehicle for over 1 block before becoming dislodged on Bluebell Street. Because Gutierrez used his vehicle as a weapon to kill Mr. Rojas, his death is now considered as Oxnard’s seventh homicide of 2019.
At 5:30 P.M. on June 5, 2019, Major Crimes investigators arrested Gutierrez at the Oxnard Police Department and charged him with the murder of Mr. Rojas. Pedro Gutierrez was transferred to the Ventura County Main Jail with bail set at $500,000.
Investigators are encouraging anyone who may have video recorded or photographed all or part of the incident, to upload your media directly to the investigators via the following link: https://oxnardpd.evidence.com/axon/citizen/public/2000mariposa. All submissions are immediately logged into the Oxnard Police Department’s digital evidence system. Contact information is not stored by Axon and community members can remain anonymous, choosing to upload their files without providing contact information.
The City of Oxnard offers a reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals responsible for committing homicides within the City.
Investigators are asking the public to come forward if anyone has witnessed this incident. The public is asked to contact Detective Miguel Serrato (805) 385-7688.
Anyone with information regarding this case or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website: www.oxnardpd.org, and clicking on Report Suspicious Activity. You can remain anonymous if you choose to do so. You can also remain anonymous by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.
DATE / TIME PREPARED: June 5, 2019, 6:00 P.M.
