Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

JAVIER “PEPE” GARCIA
Unsolved Homicide
Oxnard, California
Friday, September 6, 2013

Javier “Pepe” Garcia’s 18th birthday ended with his death.

On the early evening of Friday, September 6, 2013, Pepe and his family enjoyed a celebratory birthday meal. After dinner, Pepe was walking with a friend on Napoleon Avenue near Alexander Street in Oxnard, a group of individuals stopped Pepe, and someone killed him. Officers responded at 9:05 p.m. to reports of multiple shots fired. Emergency responders attempted to save Pepe, but he died of his injuries. Investigators were able to develop several leads and motives, but Pepe’s homicide remains a cold case.

Pepe was born on September 6, 1995. He was a 2013 graduate of Channel Islands High School. Pepe’s grieving and devastated family buried him in Santa Clara Cemetery.

One of his teachers from Channel Islands High School spoke for many: “May you find peace for having left us so soon … you were a great student … you will truly be missed.” A family member said, “Pepe is in our thoughts and prayers now and forever. May he rest in peace.”

Rest in peace? There is a twisted thinking that pulling the trigger in front of your friends and killing someone makes you a man. Javier was barely a man. He deserved better. His killer deserves to be jailed.

If you … KNOW SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

If you have any information relating to the unsolved homicide of Javier “Pepe” Garcia (or any criminal case), there are three ways to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers:

1) Call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-8477;
2) Visit P3Tips.com and download the P3Tips app; or
3) Visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and click on “Submit a Tip.”

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. It is not necessary to testify to receive a Crime Stoppers reward, and you remain 100% anonymous without fear of retaliation.

REWARD … Should your anonymous tip result in a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.

REWARD … The City of Oxnard offers a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individual(s) responsible for committing homicide(s) within the city.

You can always contact local law enforcement or the Ventura County Cold Case Unit at (805) 383-8739 or email [email protected].

Pepe’s photo is enhanced by AI.

Javier “Pepe” Garcia Reyes is featured as the six of diamonds in the first edition of Cold Case playing cards presented by Ventura County Crime Stoppers through the support of Season of Justice and using the creation and design provided by local victim advocates. These cards are distributed to inmates housed in Ventura County detention facilities. To see the entire deck of Cold Case Playing Cards, visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

To help our cause, please visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and navigate to the “Support Us” tab.

Ventura County District Attorney's Office
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
Ventura County Star
Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT
Oxnard Police Department
Dateline NBC
Project: Cold Case
Sheriff Jim Fryhoff
Safety for Citizens

08/31/2026

RUDY RIVAS JR.
Unsolved Homicide
Oxnard, California
Sunday, August 29, 2010

On Sunday, August 29, 2010, 20-year-old Rudy Rivas Jr. left home with two friends and drove a little over a mile south to Mr. Kwik’s Market on the corner of Saviers Road and Hill Street in Oxnard.

The errand to get a soda for a visiting relative was meant to be quick. Instead, the trip turned into heartbreak. Rudy went into the store alone. A gold car with a female driver and three male passengers drove into the parking lot. Noticing Rudy’s friends, the unknown males exited their car, pulled Rudy’s friend out of the other car and began to assault him. Rudy came out of the store to help. It was the last thing he would ever do. One of the men pulled out a gun and shot and killed Rudy at 6:40 p.m. The attackers fled with the female driving.

Famous for his big smile, Rudy was born in Ventura on February 16, 1990, and was raised between the Oxnard neighborhoods of West Village and La Colonia. He had a remarkable mechanical aptitude … he could fix anything from stereos to cars. At times, he had several old cars waiting to be restored. His long-term plan was to open a body shop and employ his friends.

“You were one of a kind. There are many young men, but none – not even one – can compare to you,” his sister Patty said.

Family and friends grieve every day … mother, sisters, nieces, nephews, countless friends … all adored and truly miss him. Rudy’s father, Rudy “Fito” Rivas Sr., died in 1994. They are forever buried together in Santa Clara Cemetery and share the epitaph: “If love alone could’ve saved you, you never would have died. Until we meet again you are always in our hearts.”

If you … KNOW SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

If you have any information relating to the unsolved homicide of Rudy Rivas Jr. (or any criminal case), there are three ways to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers:

1) Call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-8477;
2) Visit P3Tips.com and download the P3Tips app; or
3) Visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and click on “Submit a Tip.”

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. It is not necessary to testify to receive a Crime Stoppers reward, and you remain 100% anonymous without fear of retaliation.

REWARD … Should your anonymous tip result in a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.

REWARD … The City of Oxnard offers a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individual(s) responsible for committing homicide(s) within the city.

You can always contact local law enforcement or the Ventura County Cold Case Unit at (805) 383-8739 or email [email protected].

Rudy’s photo is enhanced by AI.

Rudy Revas Jr. is featured as the five of hearts in the first edition of Cold Case playing cards presented by Ventura County Crime Stoppers through the support of Season of Justice and using the creation and design provided by local victim advocates. These cards are distributed to inmates housed in Ventura County detention facilities. To see the entire deck of Cold Case Playing Cards, visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

To help our cause, please visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and navigate to the “Support Us” tab.

Ventura County District Attorney's Office
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
Ventura County Star
Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT
Oxnard Police Department
Dateline NBC
Project: Cold Case
Sheriff Jim Fryhoff
Safety for Citizens

08/17/2026

BRYAN RAMIREZ
Unsolved Homicide
Oxnard, California
Friday, August 14, 2015

On Friday, August 14, 2015, doctors at Ventura County Medical Center discontinued life-sustaining treatment for Bryan Ramirez, 18. Five days earlier on Sunday, August 9, at about 7:00 p.m., Bryan was hit by a car and left for dead in the 300 block of North “G” Street in Oxnard. Friends and other witnesses told police that the driver of a four-door silver/gray compact sedan seemed to intentionally hit Bryan and flee the scene. Police have always suspected that Bryan was hit with intent.

Bryan was born on October 8, 1996. His last five days of life were spent attached to medical equipment meant to revive him. All this technology. All this medical knowledge. He didn’t survive.

We have the means to bring this killer to justice. This killer hid the battered car. This killer lives with the haunting sounds of their car hitting Bryan. This killer may have confided in those closest to him. This killer needs to be prosecuted and brought to Justice … today.

If you … KNOW SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

If you have any information relating to the unsolved homicide of Bryan Ramirez (or any criminal case), there are three ways to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers:

1) Call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-8477;
2) Visit P3Tips.com and download the P3Tips app; or
3) Visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and click on “Submit a Tip.”

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. It is not necessary to testify to receive a Crime Stoppers reward, and you remain 100% anonymous without fear of retaliation.

REWARD … Should your anonymous tip result in a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.

REWARD … The City of Oxnard offers a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individual(s) responsible for committing homicide(s) within the city.

You can always contact local law enforcement or the Ventura County Cold Case Unit at (805) 383-8739 or email [email protected].

Bryan’s photo is enhanced by AI.

Bryan Ramirez is featured as the five of spades in the first edition of Cold Case playing cards presented by Ventura County Crime Stoppers through the support of Season of Justice and using the creation and design provided by local victim advocates. These cards are distributed to inmates housed in Ventura County detention facilities. To see the entire deck of Cold Case Playing Cards, visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

To help our cause, please visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and navigate to the “Support Us” tab.

Ventura County District Attorney's Office
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
Ventura County Star
Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT
Oxnard Police Department
Dateline NBC
Project: Cold Case
Sheriff Jim Fryhoff
Safety for Citizens

07/21/2026

RICARDO “KIKI” PALAZUELOS
Unsolved Homicide
Fillmore, California
Friday, July 16, 2004

In the late morning on Friday, July 16, 2004, Ricardo “Kiki” Palazuelos (26) was brazenly shot while walking to the local junkyard just across the railroad tracks from his east-side Fillmore home. Attempts to revive Kiki were unsuccessful. One bystander told the Ventura County Star: “I saw the paramedics working on him and then they stood up and put the tarp over him. It was very brief.”

Here’s what we know from news reports at the time:
- The shooter was an unknown male that exited a white full-size Chevy pickup truck with stock, chrome rims.
- The shooter was not alone; he got back in the truck occupied by more men, and the truck sped away.
- The truck drove south on Sespe Avenue and then turned right on Market Street.

In a legacy of tragedy, Kiki’s son, Isaiah Jesus Palazuelos (23), was gunned down and killed in Oxnard on September 30, 2021.

Authorities need your help to bring the shooter and accomplices to justice. You can make a difference.

If you … KNOW SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

If you have any information relating to the unsolved homicide of Ricardo “Kiki” Palazuelos (or any criminal case), there are three ways to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers:

1) Call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-8477;
2) Visit P3Tips.com or download the P3Tips app; or
3) Visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and click on “Submit a Tip.”

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. It is not necessary to testify to receive a reward, and you remain 100% anonymous without fear of retaliation.

Should your anonymous tip result in a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.

You can always contact local law enforcement or the Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT at (805) 383-8739 or email [email protected].

Kiki’s photo is enhanced with AI.

Ricardo “Kiki” Palazuelos is featured as the two of clubs in the first edition of Cold Case playing cards presented by Ventura County Crime Stoppers through the support of Season of Justice and using the creation and design provided by local victim advocates. These cards are distributed to inmates housed in Ventura County detention facilities. To see the entire deck of Cold Case Playing Cards, visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

To help our cause, please visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and navigate to the “Support Us” tab.

Fillmore Public Safety News
Fillmore Gazette
Fillmore Police Department
Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT
Ventura County District Attorney's Office
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
Ventura County Sun
Ventura County Star

07/15/2026

JOSE LUIS CASTRO
Unsolved Homicide
July 13, 2008

A Saturday get-together at the Camarillo home of Fidel Garcia on Roman Avenue was a small private party. Later in the evening, a large group of uninvited, unknown, and unwanted individuals insisted on joining. The best Fidel, his friends, and neighbors could do was to ask the group to leave.

Fidel’s friend, 20-year-old Jose Luis Castro, tried to help. It did not go well. Just before 1:00 a.m., on Sunday, July 13, 2008, Jose was stabbed multiple times in the chest and died at the scene on Appian Way in front of Dos Caminos Elementary School in Camarillo. Three of his friends tried to drag Jose to safety moments before the police arrived. Deputies began CPR on Jose, and he was pronounced dead at 12:52 a.m.

“He said he didn’t want any problems,” Fidel told the Camarillo Acorn. “He was just trying to mind his way. The group of people rushed him and his other friends.”

More from the Camarillo Acorn: “A neighbor … said she heard a loud crash and looked out her window and saw a group of about 60 people – mostly males with shaved heads and wearing white T-shirts – on Appian Way. She said she saw a cluster of them fighting … when the … attackers cleared, Castro fell to the ground … The woman said it was soon evident Castro had been stabbed.”

Jose was a 2006 graduate of Frontier High School and a student at both Oxnard and Ventura colleges. “He was pretty much bettering himself,” Fidel said. “He was going to school. He wanted to become a cop. He was a good guy. He didn’t deserve for that to happen.”

Jose and his family are waiting for Justice. “He was a good boy. He didn’t deserve this. They don’t know how they leave family members – all destroyed,” his aunt Isaura Castro told the Ventura County Star.

It is obvious that numerous people know who stabbed and killed Jose. Don’t let this murderer – and those that were accessories – continue their freedom. Let’s solve this cold case.

If you … KNOW SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

If you have any information relating to the unsolved homicide of Jose Luis Castro (or any criminal case), there are three ways to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers: 1) call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-8477; 2) visit P3Tips.com or download the P3Tips app; or 3) visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and click on “Submit a Tip.” Should your anonymous tip result in a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. It is not necessary to testify to receive a reward, and you remain 100% anonymous without fear of retaliation.

In addition, you can always contact local law enforcement or the Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT at (805) 383-8739 or email [email protected].

To see more cold cases and to help our cause, please visit www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org.

Camarillo Police Department
Ventura County Sheriff's Office
Ventura County Star
Camarillo Acorn
Ventura County District Attorney's Office

07/15/2026

ROBERT PAUL “BOBBY” SARLES JR.
Unsolved Homicide
Oxnard, California
Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Robert Paul “Bobby” Sarles Jr. (19) was born Tuesday, March 5, 1996, in Oxnard. He was murdered sometime on the evening of Wednesday, July 15, 2015, at Lemonwood Park in Oxnard. The next morning, in response to a “dead body call,” Oxnard police found him dead.

Bobby’s body was found within the confines of a fenced tennis court riddled with bullets. A Facebook comment: “That must of been a terrible way to die. He was trapped in a tennis court cage with one way in and one way out with no time to attempt to climb the fence. Once the killer(s) walked in it was over.”

This same tennis court on San Mateo Place is just steps away from Lemonwood Elementary where at age 9 Bobby knew nothing of death. This same elementary school is just steps away from his childhood home on Carnegie Court where he grew up with his loving parents and sister.

The Sarles’ family is adamant that Bobby wasn’t a gang member and had no problems with anyone. They called him “Boo.” From his obituary: “In the short time he had with us, he managed to live a lifetime. He had the wisdom of an old wise man, the knowledge of a scholar and was inspired by insight. He could light up any room with his deep blue eyes and beautiful smile.”

“You really have to, every single day, act like it was your last. Love your children, hug your kids, love them, and know that they are loved, because life is short,” said his father. “The pain that this causes will never go away.”

“We have to know who did this. A kid should be able to go to his own park that he was raised in since diapers. He should be able to go there and be safe,” said his aunt.

From the Oxnard Police Department: “Investigators believe that there are people in the community who have information that can assist investigators in identifying the suspect(s) in this case. Any information you provide may be confidential. If you wish not to provide details of the murder, providing the suspect’s name(s) only can be extremely helpful.”

This is a solvable crime. If you …

KNOW SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

If you have any information relating to the unsolved homicide of Robert Paul “Bobby” Sarles Jr. (or any criminal case), there are three ways to submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers:

1) call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 800-222-8477;
2) visit P3Tips.com or download the P3Tips app; or
3) visit venturacountycrimestoppers.org and click on “Submit a Tip.”

Should your anonymous tip result in a felony arrest, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 through Crime Stoppers.

In addition, the City of Oxnard offers a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individuals responsible for committing homicides within the city.

Your identity is always encrypted and anonymous. No personal information, phone number, e-mail, IP address or location is ever requested, saved, traced, tracked or monitored. It is not necessary to testify to receive a reward, and you remain 100% anonymous without fear of retaliation.

In addition, you can always contact local law enforcement or the Ventura County Sheriff's Office COLD CASE UNIT at (805) 383-8739 or email [email protected].

To help our cause, please visit:

www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org and navigate to the “Support Us” tab.

Robert’s photo is AI enhanced.

Oxnard Police Department
Ventura County District Attorney's Office
Ventura County Star
Ventura County Sheriff's Office

05/07/2026

Identified! Joseph Patrick Reardon

Authorities have identified the remains of a teen found just outside Camarillo in 1993 as a teenager who lived in Oxnard in 1985.