Mural honors first Latina Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez

OXNARD, Calif.-A mural dedication took place today in honor of late Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez.

Ramirez made history when she became the first Latina elected to the board.

The city of Oxnard closed off a portion of B Street for the ceremony.

Her friends, family, and other elected officials filled the seats.

Mayor John Zaragoza presented her sister, husband and the the artist plaques and invited them to speak.

"Let’s use Carmen as a role model," said Maria Elena Ramirez, " and with every step we take let’s work to better our communities and our environment and do the right thing."

Ramirez was one of 7 siblings and lost a brother to COVID early in the pandemic.

Her widower Roy Prince said, "We go on, we do the best we can to do what Carmen would do.”

Supervisor Ramirez, 73 was struck and killed while walking in a crosswalk to a Heritage Square concert on Friday Aug. 12, 2022.

The 38-year-old driver of the 2020 GMC Sierra pickup truck who hit her claimed the sun was in his eyes at 6:40 p.m.

He was never charged.

Mural artist Anthony Ortiz is the son of Ramirez' best friend Maria.

Ortiz said he was honored to paint her smiling face with a special shawl over her shoulders next to images of flowers, farm fields and Ramirez speaking at a Save the Planet and social justice rally.

Before being elected Ramirez joined forces with Malibu celebrities to prevent a Liquid Natural Gas terminal from being approved off the coast of Oxnard.

It would have piped gas under the strawberry fields in a city that already had two power plants on its beaches.

Oxnard City manager Alex Nguyen said people can see the mural on Oxnard’s downtown parking structure.

Nguyen said another mural is being planned for the the South Oxnard Branch Library.

Ortiz said he would be interested in painting that mural, too.