Second Suspect In Oxnard Gang Related Killing Of Innocent Man Pleads Guilty To Lesser Charge

Thursday May 16, 2024

(Ramos photo OPD)

     Updated--The second suspect in the gang related killing of an innocent man in Oxnard in December of 2022 has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

     Prosecutors say that 32-year-old Paul Steven Ramos of Santa Paula drove the vehicle that took the alleged shooter, 24-year-old Michael Ortega of Oxnard, to the apartment complex in the 1200 block of West Gonzales Road in Oxnard where Ortega is alleged to have used a sawed off shotgun to kill 20-year-old John Carrillo.

     Carrillo died at the scene.

     His family members told KVTA News that Carrillo had no gang ties, was not involved in gangs in anyway, and was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time where he became the innocent victim of gang violence.

     Ramos, like Ortega, was facing a murder charge but Thursday he was allowed to plead guilty to Assault with a Deadly Weapon instead and admitted that it was gang related.

     Ortega is still facing a June 21st trial on murder and other charges.

     Ortega is also facing charges related to other violent crimes and a score of special allegations including that the alleged crimes were gang related.

     Meanwhile, Ramos is set to be sentenced on June 28th and remains in the Ventura County Jail with no bail.