By El Latino Newsroom
An Oxnard man was convicted by a jury of murder and several firearm-related offenses in connection with the 2023 shooting death of Oscar Rodriguez, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced.
Omar Romo, 37, was found guilty of murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon following a trial related to the July 12, 2023, killing in Oxnard.
Jurors also found true multiple special allegations and aggravating factors, including that Romo personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during the crime, that he was on parole at the time of the shooting and that he had prior strike convictions.
Romo, who was on parole following a previous robbery conviction, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. in courtroom 25 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He remains in custody without bail.
According to prosecutors, Romo faces a sentence of 110 years to life in state prison.
Prosecutors Link Romo to Fatal Oxnard Shooting
The shooting occurred July 12, 2023, when Romo, whom authorities identified as a known gang member, allegedly drove to an alley near Cooper Road in Oxnard.
Once at the location, Romo shot Rodriguez three times before fleeing the area in his vehicle, prosecutors said.
Rodriguez was transported to a hospital following the shooting but was pronounced dead.
Investigators later used multiple sources of evidence to connect Romo to the crime, including GPS monitoring data, surveillance footage and evidence recovered during searches of his residence and vehicle.
At the time of the shooting, Romo was being monitored through a GPS system as a condition related to his prior robbery conviction. Investigators reviewed the GPS information and determined that the data placed Romo at the location of the shooting when Rodriguez was attacked.
Surveillance footage provided additional evidence, prosecutors said. The footage showed Romo driving a black Honda Accord that matched the vehicle seen at the scene of the shooting. Investigators also observed Romo wearing clothing similar to that seen on a person in the area earlier that day.
As the investigation continued, detectives with the Oxnard Police Department searched Romo’s residence and vehicle. During those searches, investigators found ammunition and recovered the firearm that prosecutors identified as the weapon used in Rodriguez’s murder.
The evidence presented during the case ultimately led the jury to convict Romo on all of the charges, as well as find the special allegations and aggravating factors true.
The conviction also means Romo faces significant additional consequences because the shooting occurred while he was already on parole for a previous robbery conviction.
District Attorney’s Office Calls Conviction Accountability for Victim’s Death
The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Gang Unit.
Moyer said the shooting represented a senseless act of violence and emphasized that firearms should not be used to settle disputes or conflicts.
“Oscar Rodriguez lost his life to senseless street violence,” Moyer said. “There is no place for using a firearm to resolve conflicts and this conviction holds the defendant accountable for that choice.”
The prosecution’s Major Crimes Gang Unit handles serious criminal cases involving gang activity and violent offenses. The case also reflects the role of investigative technology and physical evidence in establishing a connection between a suspect and a crime scene.
GPS monitoring was particularly significant in the investigation because Romo was already subject to electronic monitoring as a result of his previous robbery conviction. Prosecutors used the location data to place him in the area at the time of the shooting.
Surveillance footage and the subsequent recovery of ammunition and the firearm provided additional evidence for the prosecution.
Romo’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the Ventura County Superior Court. He will remain in custody without bail pending the hearing.
If the court imposes the sentence sought by prosecutors, Romo could face 110 years to life in state prison.
The conviction concludes the trial phase of the case, but sentencing will determine the specific penalties imposed by the court.
The charges and allegations against Romo were resolved through the jury’s verdict. He was convicted of murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon, while the jury also found the firearm-use allegations, parole status and prior strike allegations to be true.
