A member of the Ventura County gang pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting of a man in Oxnard.
On March 13, 33-year-old Christopher Paul Arevalo pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Giovanni Vega, announced Friday by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
On December 8th, 2016, Arevalo and his accomplice entered an Oxnard convenience store. A minute later, the victim, Vega, also entered the store.
When Vega came out, Arevalo and his companions quickly followed him before catching up to him and asking where he was from. Arevalo then shot Vega four times before escaping the scene, prosecutors said.
The next morning, Jogger discovers Vega’s body lying on West Vineyard Avenue, about 130 yards from the convenience store.
Oxnard police detectives identified Arevalo, a known gang member, as the suspect after checking surveillance footage from the store.
Christopher Paul Arevalo, 33, committed a crime against the 2016 murder of Giovanni Vega. (Ventura County District Attorney’s Office)
A day later, Arevalo was sitting in the back seat of the car when police stopped traffic in the vehicle. While searching for the car, they find the gun used in the murder hidden between the seats where Arevaro was sitting.
Ballistic analysis later confirmed that four shell casings found near Vega’s body matched the weapon, officials said.
“The victim’s family endured immense hardships due to the long passage of time between the death of a loved one and this plea,” said Theresa Polala, the Ventura County District Attorney, who charged the case. “Hopefully this resolution will bring the closure and peace that they deserve.”
Arevalo was arrested and found guilty to second-degree murder, along with special allegations of personal and intentional discharge of a firearm.
He is scheduled to be sentenced April 11 in Ventura County Superior Court.
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