Alexis Jean Lopez, a 26-year-old resident of Camarillo, California, tragically lost her life on October 8, 2017, in a drive-by shooting in Oxnard. On that fateful night, Lopez was in the driver's seat of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, waiting to turn left from Ventura Boulevard onto Santa Clara Avenue. Accompanying her was a 27-year-old male acquaintance from Oxnard. At approximately 9:45 p.m., as they waited in the left-turn pocket, both were shot multiple times by an unknown assailant.
Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, while her passenger survived but was hospitalized with serious injuries. The incident left behind two young children who mourned the loss of their mother.
The investigation into Lopez's death revealed that the shooter and the victims did not know each other, and the motive was believed to be a case of mistaken identity rather than a random act of violence. Despite the initial lack of leads, the Oxnard Police Department continued to work diligently on the case. A year after the incident, they issued a public plea for information, which eventually led to new evidence and the arrest of Jacob Jamal Steir, a 25-year-old Oxnard resident. Steir, who was already in custody for violating his post-release supervision from a prior assault conviction, was charged with murder in connection to Lopez's death.
Further investigation uncovered that on the night of the shooting, an associate of Steir's sought revenge for an earlier shooting and mistakenly believed Lopez's vehicle was involved. This associate asked Steir for his gun, which was then used to open fire on Lopez's truck. Steir was subsequently charged with voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder, to which he pled guilty. In October 2023, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in the crime. The Oxnard Police Department's persistent efforts and the cooperation of the community were crucial in bringing some measure of justice to Lopez's family. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities expecting to make at least one additional arrest in connection to the case.
