Oxnard man accused of hitting, killing man with car appears in court on murder charges

OXNARD, Calif. - Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that an Oxnard man who is accused of killing a man during a hit and run appeared in court on Thursday to face murder charges.

The DA's Office said the fatal crash happened on April 23 around 2:51 p.m. Oxnard police said they were dispatched to a vehicle that had struck a pedestrian near the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Mountain View Avenue.

There, they found a man identified as Matias Lopez, 52, from Oxnard suffering from serious injuries. The vehicle reportedly fled the scene. Lopez was transported to the hospital for treatment where he remained until he died from his wounds on May 5.

Police said they investigated and identified the hit-and-run driver as 65-year-old Peter John Codella of Oxnard. Codella was arrested and charged with the murder of Lopez and using his vehicle as a deadly weapon. He was also charged with fleeing the scene of an accident causing death.

Codella appeared in court on Thursday, June 17, for arraignment. This case was continued to July 22, 2021, at 9 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court.

Police said Codella was released from custody after posting $500,000 in bail.