Oxnard Man Sentenced For Deadly Crime Spree

Wednesday April 19, 2023

 (David Diaz Flores))

     A Ventura County judge Wednesday sentenced an Oxnard man to forever in prison with no chance of ever getting out for a deadly crime spree almost six years ago.

     A month ago a jury spent less than a day before convicting 25-year-old David Diaz Flores of two counts of First Degree Murder and three counts of Second Degree Robbery.

     They also found true Special Circumstance Allegations of Multiple Murders and Murders while Engaged in Robberies plus several other special allegations.

     The judge sentenced Diaz to two consecutive terms of life in prison with no chance of parole plus another almost 70-years to life in prison tacked on.

     Diaz Flores and two other men went on a nighttime crime spree through Oxnard on May 16, 2017 that left 29-year-old Aaron Austin of Oxnard and 23-year-old Eduardo Leon of Oxnard dead.

(Victims Aaron Austin/Eduardo Leon)

     The fatal shootings took place in the 300 block of North "G" Street and the 5400 block of Perkins Road.

     The killings were connected to attempted robberies where Austin and Leon apparently were shot when they resisted.

     Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick told KVTA News that Diaz Flores fired the fatal shots in both cases.

     He says the completed robberies were of other victims that night who were not shot.

     There were two other men involved in the crimes who testified against Diaz Flores.

Co-defendants Martinez/Montijo)

     24-year-old Joseph Martinez had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of Voluntary Manslaughter and several counts of Second Degree Robbery and Attempted Second Degree Robbery.

     He is facing almost 21 years in prison.

     27-year-old Joel Montijo pleaded guilty to one count of Second Degree Murder and several counts of Second Degree Robbery.

     He is facing 35-years-to-life in prison.

     Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, Montijo will face sentencing on June 8th.