An Oxnard man has been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old, following a shooting that took place in mid-April this year. Jose Alberto Salazar, who was already in custody for unrelated charges, now faces allegations that include murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, CBS Los Angeles reports.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the charges, which also encompass special allegations for personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing death, and being on parole at the time of the alleged murder. Salazar, who has a past felony conviction, is being held on a combined bail of $2.16 million, as per KTLA. The incident, which has become the fourth homicide in Oxnard so far this year, involved Salazar reportedly firing into a truck and striking the teen in the head through the rear window.
Responding to a shooting call on the night of April 15, Oxnard police found the victim unresponsive in the passenger seat of a vehicle. He later succumbed to his injuries at Ventura County Medical Center. Salazar was arrested on June 10 while being held at Ventura County Jail on the separate offenses, detailed by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The case, already tinged with the solemnity of youth lost, finds the accused back in the judiciary's grasp; a grim echo of his previous encounters with the law. Salazar's next court appearance is scheduled for July 12, as Senior Deputy District Attorney Richard Simon leads the prosecution. The Oxnard Police Department is yet to disclose further details about the evidence collected a block away from the shooting location, according to several news outlets including CBS Los Angeles.
