Sentencings Delayed In Ventura Gang Related Killing Case After One Defendant Changes His Mind
Friday May 26, 2023
(Above photo courtesy Ryan Thelen)
(Richard Hernandez/Alexis Ramirez)
Updated--The sentencing hearing for two defendants in a gang related fatal shooting in Ventura almost seven years ago was postponed Friday after one of the defendants made a motion to withdraw his guilty pleas.
The judge rescheduled the sentencing for Richard Hernandez of Oxnard and Alexis Ramirez of Ventura, both now 27-years-old, to July 28th.
But the judge also set a hearing for June 9th to consider a motion by Hernandez to withdraw his guilty pleas.
On May 1st of this year, Hernandez pleaded guilty to second degree murder and attempted murder.
He also admitted several special allegations including gang enhancements, witness intimidation, being armed with a firearm, and felony evading.
Ramirez meanwhile, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder plus admitting the gang enhancement allegation and that the crime involved great violence.
The incident happened on the afternoon of June 29, 2016 in the 4000 block of East Main Street in Ventura.
There had been a series of verbal altercations between several people that ended with a shooting in the parking lot of Sizzlers Restaurant.
The shooting claimed the life of 25-year-old Cameron Miller of Oxnard and wounded another young man who was with him.
The suspects, four of them, fled in their vehicle.
It was spotted by an officer in the east end of Ventura and there was a pursuit that reached speeds of 100 mph that ended when the suspect's vehicle crashed into a tree in the area of Telegraph Road east of Cambria Avenue.
Three of the suspects were immediately taken into custody but a third ran into the orchard and was chased down and captured a short time later.
Both men remain in jail where they are being held without bail.
A third defendant, Luis Aguilar of Oxnard, pleaded guilty several years ago to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder with the gang enhancements and was in sentenced in July of 2019 to 17 years in prison.
The 16 year-old female juvenile who was with them had her case resolved in juvenile court several years ago.
