A Santa Maria man, Manuel Dominguez, has been handed a 29-year-to-life sentence for the murder of Robert Gutierrez. The sentence was announced on Wednesday, following his guilty plea to a count of first-degree murder with a special allegation for using a firearm, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. The tragic incident that unfolded back in December 2018 has finally reached a legal conclusion, offering some sense of finality to the family of the victim.
Dominguez, born on February 28, 1999, confronted Gutierrez after knocking on his ex-neighbor's window in an Oxnard neighborhood where he had lived previously. Having been faced with an unarmed Gutierrez, from about 30 feet away, Dominguez pulled the trigger, leading to fatal consequences. The details of the investigation, led by the Oxnard Police Department, culminated in Dominguez's arrest on January 2, 2019.
The case was persevered through the legal system by Senior Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Nguyen of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crime Homicide Unit. In a reflection of the case’s resolution, Nguyen commented, “This sentence reflects the gravity of a senseless act that claimed an innocent life,” as reported by the District Attorney's Office. “We hope this outcome brings a measure of closure to the victim's family and loved ones.”
