Four Oxnard residents now face federal charges following a series of armed robberies, beginning with an incident at a Home Depot on January 4th and continuing at a Walmart on January 7th. The FBI, in a statement to KTLA, has identified the suspects as Erasmo Jose Corral, 19; Wendy Xitlali Gutierrez, 21; Sylvia Martinez, 51; and Ramon Olvera, 29. Charged with interfering with commerce by robbery and conspiracy, the accused could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge.
During a traffic stop conducted by the Oxnard Police Department shortly after the Walmart robbery, officers apprehended Corral and Gutierrez. Found in their vehicle, a loaded handgun matched the one used in both robberies, along with the reckless endangerment of store employees, pointed at them by Corral during the escapes. Martinez and Olvera, arrested on March 29, joined their co-defendants in federal custody two days after. According to the FBI's release, all four detainees are expected to remain behind bars until their trial dates.
Corral faces additional charges including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, owing to his criminal history, elevating his potential maximum sentence to 82 years if consecutive sentencing is applied. The KTLA report detailed these larger implications for his involvement in the crimes.
With Ventura County's Violent Crime Task Force leading the investigation, integrating resources from the FBI, the Oxnard Police Department, and the Port Hueneme Police Department, the focus remains on holding the defendants accountable. Assistant United States Attorney Matt Coe-Odess is set to prosecute the case, as reported by the FBI.
