Prosecutors Charge Oxnard 15-Year-Old With Murder Of Oxnard 14-Year-Old

Thursday September 22, 2022

     Updated-The Ventura County District Attorney's Office has filed a petition in Juvenile Court charging a 15-year-old Oxnard boy with murder in the September 12th shooting death of a 14-year-old Oxnard boy.

     Juventino Mejia, who was identified publicly by Oxnard police, remains detained in the Juvenile Facility pending the juvenile court version of an arraignment on October 3rd.

     In filing their petition, prosecutors revealed more details about the events leading up to the fatal shooting that happened in the 1300 block of South "C" Street south of Hill Street around 7:48 PM that night.

     They allege that earlier that evening, Mejia allegedly confronted the victim, Leonardo Gonzalez Jimenez, near Durley Park.

     After the initial confrontation, Jimenez walked to the bus stop on "C" Street and waited for a family member to pick him up.

     Prosecutors say that as Jimenez waited, Mejia allegedly returned in his vehicle and shot Jimenez multiple times.

     Jimenez was rushed to VCMC where he died.

     An extensive investigation by Oxnard police and the FBI identified Mejia as the shooter and on September 18th, he was spotted in the 800 block of Elm Court and arrested without incident.

     Oxnard police have called this a gang-related crime.

     The California Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision involving another Ventura County case, has upheld state legislation that says no one under the age of 16 can be tried as an adult no matter what the crime.

     That would mean that this case will stay in juvenile court where, if the petition is sustained, the most severe sentence would be incarceration in a juvenile facility until the age of 25.