By Redacción
Redaccion@latinocc.com
An Oxnard man convicted of first-degree murder and assault with a firearm was sentenced to 54 years to life in state prison, though a judicial decision significantly reduced the amount of time he must serve before becoming eligible for parole, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Aaron Jabezz Holmes, 30, was sentenced on Jan. 12, 2026, for the 2015 murder of Angel Diaz and for assaulting another victim with a firearm during a violent crime spree that unfolded across Oxnard when Holmes was 19 years old.
Holmes previously entered a no contest plea on Sept. 24, 2025, to one count of first-degree murder, including the allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing death, as well as one count of assault with a firearm. He also admitted to multiple special allegations and aggravating factors, including a prior strike conviction for robbery.
Despite strong objections from prosecutors, the sentencing judge struck Holmes’ prior strike before imposing sentence, a decision that substantially altered Holmes’ parole eligibility.
Court Decision Alters Parole Eligibility
Senior Deputy District Attorney Theresa Pollara of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Homicides Unit prosecuted the case and objected to the court’s decision to dismiss the prior strike.
“The court’s decision to strike the prior strike over our objection significantly altered the practical effect of this sentence by accelerating parole eligibility,” Pollara said.
By striking the prior robbery strike, the court reduced the amount of actual time Holmes will be required to serve before becoming eligible for parole. Without the ruling, Holmes would have been ineligible for both youthful offender parole and statutory elder parole, delaying any potential parole consideration until approximately age 60.
As a result of the court’s decision, Holmes is now expected to be eligible for parole consideration at approximately age 44.
Under California law, youthful offender parole applies to individuals who committed their crimes before turning 26. The statute allows earlier parole consideration based on the recognition that young adults may exhibit immature decision-making and greater capacity for rehabilitation.
Prosecutors argued that the severity of Holmes’ crimes, the escalation of violence, and his conduct both before and after the murder weighed heavily against granting the benefit of reduced parole eligibility.
Violent Crime Spree Escalated Throughout the Night
The crimes stem from a violent series of events that occurred on April 30, 2015, when Holmes joined two adults and two minors in a spree that escalated as the night progressed.
Early in the evening, Holmes identified an individual he considered an enemy while riding in a vehicle. He demanded the driver stop, exited the car, and fired a gun as the individual attempted to flee on a bicycle. The victim was struck in the foot but survived.
Later that night, Holmes and one of the minors exited the vehicle and robbed a group of teenagers who were practicing a dance routine in a parking lot. Armed with a firearm, Holmes stole a small amount of loose change and a cellphone from the victims.
Unsatisfied, Holmes decided to commit another robbery.
After arranging a meeting with a drug dealer who failed to appear, Holmes instead approached Angel Diaz, who was sitting inside his pickup truck outside an Oxnard donut shop. Diaz had just completed a late work shift and was eating his dinner inside his vehicle so as not to wake his family when he returned home.
Holmes walked up to the driver’s-side window and tapped on it with a loaded firearm.
As Diaz attempted to escape by shifting the vehicle into gear, Holmes fired through the window, fatally wounding him. Diaz’s truck rolled forward and crashed into the donut shop. Holmes and the others fled the scene, leaving Diaz mortally injured.
Diaz later died from the gunshot wound.
Post-Crime Conduct and Jailhouse Offenses
Following the murder, Holmes reportedly bragged to others that he had “slumped” someone, a slang term used to describe killing another person.
The group continued driving after the shooting, during which Holmes encouraged one of the minors to use a firearm to rob or kidnap a woman who was walking alone in a parking lot. The woman was able to escape by running into a nearby store.
Holmes’ violent conduct did not end with his arrest.
While incarcerated in the Ventura County jail, Holmes committed multiple additional felony offenses, including assaults on two sheriff’s deputies. Prosecutors also revealed that Holmes conspired with a family member to smuggle methamphetamine into the jail while being transported for medical treatment.
Holmes ultimately pleaded guilty in those separate cases and was sentenced to three years in state prison for each offense.
Sentence Reflects Severity of Crimes
Although Holmes received a lengthy sentence of 54 years to life, prosecutors emphasized that the court’s decision to strike the prior strike diminished the sentence’s real-world impact by advancing parole eligibility.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office reiterated its commitment to holding violent offenders accountable and to seeking justice for victims and their families.
Angel Diaz was remembered during proceedings as a hardworking man who was returning home to his family when his life was cut short by a senseless act of violence.
