Ramon Rivas Sentenced 51 Years to Life for the 2024 Murder of Jessica Marie Tinoco

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Ramon Joseph Rivas, 36, of Simi Valley was sentenced to 51 years to life for the 2024 murder of his girlfriend Jessica Marie Tinoco in front of her five children.

Rivas previously pled guilty to second-degree murder and admitted to all special allegations and aggravating factors including that he had a prior strike offense on May 20, 2026.

"The defendant's willingness to take responsibility for his horrendous crime doesn't excuse what he
did to the victim and her family," said Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick who prosecuted the case.

On Sep. 27, 2024, officers responded to a stabbing at a Simi Valley home and arrived to find Rivas exiting the home shirtless with his upper torso covered in blood before he was taken into custody detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, officers entered the home and found Tinoco lying just inside the front door suffering from multiple stab wounds to her face, abdomen, and arms.

Officers located a bent steak knife with blood on it on the living room floor and blood throughout the residence added the local prosecutor's office.

Tinoco was transported from the scene to Los Robles Hospital where she was later pronounced deceased stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Witnesses shared that during a domestic dispute, Rivas grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began attacking Tinoco in front of her five children who were all able to flee the home noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Tinoco was stabbed multiple times during the attack including four wounds that were later determined to have been fatal detailed prosecutors.