Three men charged with murder could face the death penalty

Three men from Oxnard accused of murdering two men in 2017 have been arrested after a 9-month long investigation.

Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney announced the arrests of Joel Montijo, 22, of Oxnard, Joseph Martinez, 19, of Oxnard, and 20-year-old David Flores also of Oxnard early Wednesday.

The three men are accused of multiple armed robberies, in May of 2017, in two of them, they are accused of murdering 29-year-old Aaron Austin and 23-year-old Eduardo Leon.

Austin had been found suffering from gunshot wounds in the 300 block of North G Street, he died after being taken to Ventura County Medical Center. Leon was found shot to death in an alley in the 5400 block of Perkins Road.

The Oxnard Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit used surveillance video and other interviews and evidence to obtain arrest warrants for Montijo, Martinez, and Flores.

On February 23, 2018, officers arrested Montijo and Martinez. At the time of their arrest, Martinez was driving in the suspect vehicle involved in the murders.

On February 26, 2018, detectives arrested Flores at the Ventura County Jail. He was in custody on firearms possession charges not related to the murders.

If found guilty on all charges, all three men face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

The City of Oxnard offers a $10,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects in homicide cases.