An Oxnard man has been convicted in the 2023 killing of Oscar Rodriguez, following a jury trial that ended with guilty verdicts on murder and firearm-related charges, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Aug. 25.
Omar Romo, 37, was found guilty of murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon. Jurors also found several special allegations and aggravating factors to be true, including that Romo personally and intentionally discharged a firearm and was on parole when the shooting occurred. His prior serious or violent felony convictions were also considered in the case.
The case stems from a shooting in an alley near the 700 block of Cooper Road in Oxnard shortly after 1 a.m. on July 12, 2023. Police responding to the scene found Rodriguez, 44, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital but later died from his injuries.
Prosecutors said Romo drove to the alley and shot Rodriguez three times before leaving the area. At the time, Romo was on parole following a previous robbery conviction and was being monitored by GPS. Investigators said the tracking data placed him near the location of the shooting.
Surveillance footage became another part of the investigation. According to prosecutors, video showed Romo driving a black Honda Accord consistent with the vehicle seen at the shooting scene. Investigators also said he was wearing clothing similar to what he had been seen wearing in the area earlier that day.
Detectives later searched Romo’s residence and vehicle. Prosecutors said they recovered ammunition as well as the firearm used in the killing.
Romo had initially been arrested in September 2023 after an 11-week investigation into Rodriguez’s death. At the time, police said he was already being held at the Ventura County Jail on unrelated charges and was booked on a murder charge.
The prosecution was handled by Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Gang Unit. Moyer said Rodriguez’s death was the result of street violence and that the conviction held Romo accountable for using a firearm in the incident.
Prosecutors have not publicly identified a motive for the shooting.
Romo remains in custody without bail. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Courtroom 25 of Ventura County Superior Court. He faces a sentence of 110 years to life in state prison.
The case is listed by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office as case No. 2023025872. The convictions include murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.
