Oxnard detectives open up about investigating child murder case

Lead detectives in a Ventura County murder case are talking about their gut-wrenching experience investigating the case.

Among photos of his family members, Oxnard Police Detective, Scott Aaron has a photo of 3-year-old Kimberly Lopez on his desk. He says it’s a way to memorialize the toddler’s life.

“It’s a reminder that there are kids like this out there.” Said Aaron. “She was only three years old. She hadn’t put her mark on the world yet.”

Aaron began investigating what started as a missing person’s case in 2016.

“She essentially dropped of the face of the earth and nobody knew where she was,” said Aaron. “With missing kids, there is no real foot print.”

On Monday, 27-year-old Mayra Chavez was convicted of abusing and killing Kimberly, her daughter, in 2015.

“Once we realized she was dead it had to transition so at that point we were looking for the body,” said Detective Jeff Kay.

Kimberly’s father, Omar Lopez testified that he and Chavez disposed of her body in Mexico.

“We haven’t stopped looking for her and we are using different investigative tools to hopefully find some of her remains,” said Aaron.

Kay says the impact Kimberly’s story has had on the department is immense.

“This is not your ordinary homicide case.” Said Kay. “It breached the wall and got to my heart.”

“We put so much into this case that it was just something that kind of remains with us and we all think about it,” said Aaron.

Chavez faces 47 years to life in prison. She will be sentenced on March 14th.

Lopez pleaded guilty to charges of child endangerment. He is also awaiting sentencing.