VENTURA, Calif. — An Oxnard gang member who executed a fatal alleyway shooting while under active GPS parole supervision has been convicted of murder in Ventura County Superior Court, public safety officials announced Tuesday.
The guilty verdict was announced by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko following a jury trial prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer of the DA's Major Crimes Gang Unit.
The defendant, identified as Omar Romo (born December 17, 1988), of Oxnard, was convicted on all counts for the July 12, 2023, murder of Oscar Rodriguez.
Alleyway Execution and GPS Parole Data Intercept
According to court records and trial evidence presented by prosecutors, Romo—a known gang member who was on active state parole following a prior robbery conviction—drove a black Honda Accord to an alleyway along Cooper Road in Oxnard on July 12, 2023.
Upon confronting Oscar Rodriguez in the alley, Romo drew a firearm and shot Rodriguez three times at close range before speeding away from the scene. Emergency medical personnel transported Rodriguez to a local trauma facility, where hospital staff pronounced him deceased.
Oxnard Police Department detectives launched a homicide inquiry and quickly leveraged electronic surveillance data. Because Romo was wearing an active GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his robbery parole, state tracking logs placed his exact physical location at the Cooper Road alley at the precise moment of the shooting.
Detectives corroborated the GPS tracking data with commercial security camera footage, which captured Romo driving his black Honda Accord near the crime scene while wearing clothing matching eyewitness descriptions.
Investigators subsequently served a search warrant at Romo's residence and vehicle, recovering ammunition and seizing the exact handgun used to execute Rodriguez.
Specific Charges and Special Enhancements
The jury found Romo guilty of three primary felony counts under the California Penal Code:
- Penal Code 187(a): Murder
- Penal Code 245(b): Assault with a Semiautomatic Firearm
- Penal Code 29800(a)(1): Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
Furthermore, the jury found multiple special allegations and aggravating sentencing factors true:
- PC 12022.53(d): Personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death
- PC 1203.085(a) / CRC 4.421(b)(4): Committed while on active parole for a serious or violent felony
- PC 667S3 / PC 667(a)(1): Three-Strikes prior felony conviction and prior serious felony enhancements
- PC 12022.7(a): Great bodily injury inflicted during the commission of a felony
- CRC 4.421(a)(2) & (b)(1): Defendant was armed with a weapon and engaged in violent conduct
"Oscar Rodriguez lost his life to senseless street violence," stated Senior Deputy District Attorney Hayley Moyer following the verdict. "There is no place for using a firearm to resolve conflicts, and this conviction holds the defendant accountable for that choice."
Impact of GPS Tracking and Parole Supervision in Gang Homicide Cases
The conviction underscores how electronic monitoring data and multi-agency digital forensics assist homicide detectives in securing swift convictions against repeat violent offenders.
When individuals on active parole for violent felonies engage in secondary violent crimes, real-time GPS coordinates allow law enforcement agencies to instantly link suspects to crime scenes. Combined with residential search warrants and ballistic matching, forensic GPS evidence eliminates reasonable doubt during jury trials, ensuring dangerous offenders face maximum statutory sentencing.
Romo remains held in county custody without bail at the Ventura County Main Jail. He faces a mandatory statutory sentence of 110 years to life in state prison.
Presiding Judge Patricia Murphy scheduled Romo's formal sentencing hearing for October 22, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 25 of the Ventura County Superior Court.
For additional information regarding this prosecution (Case No. 2023025872), media members can contact Communications Manager Joey Buttitta at (805) 767-3400 or via email at Joey.Buttitta@venturacounty.gov. Official court notices can be reviewed on the Ventura County District Attorney's Office newsroom.