Thousand Oaks Man Facing Jury Trial On Murder Charge

Thursday December 26, 2024

     Updated--The defendant in a Thousand Oaks murder case was in court on Christmas Eve to face formal charges that will lead to a jury trial next spring.

     Earlier this month, a Ventura County judge ruled there was sufficient evidence for 31-year-old Alain Alvarez of Thousand Oaks to face trial for murder in the May 22, 2022 stabbing death of 24-year-old Oliver Willis of Thousand Oaks.

     In addition to the murder charge, Alvarez is also facing a special allegation of use of a deadly weapon.

     In court Tuesday he entered a not guilty plea to the murder charge and denied the special allegation of use of a deadly weapon.

     A date of March 11th was set for a pretrial conference.

     Alvarez continues to be held in the Todd Road Jail without bail.

     The killing happened outside of an apartment complex in the 1800 block of West Hillcrest Drive.

     Deputies had responded to that location on a disturbance call involving a report of a fight between males and a possible stabbing.

      They found Willis on the ground suffering from multiple stab wounds.

     He was pronounced dead at the scene.

     Two days later, detectives identified Alvarez as the suspect and arrested him.

     According to court records, Alvarez has both felony and misdemeanor convictions for battery in gang-related cases as well as a drug conviction.

     Meanwhile, court records showed that the victim Willis was convicted and sentenced in 2019 in connection with a 2018 shooting in Simi Valley that wounded a person.