Eduardo Viveros Leon, a 23-year-old resident of Oxnard, California, tragically lost his life on May 17, 2017. Eduardo had moved from Mexico to Oxnard and was a father to an infant son. On the night of May 16, 2017, Eduardo was returning home from the laundromat when he was fatally shot. His body was discovered the following morning in an alley on Perkins Road.
Eduardo was struck by gunfire three times, a senseless act that left his family and community in mourning.
The investigation into Eduardo's death revealed that he was one of two victims killed during a robbery spree in Oxnard on the night of May 16, 2017. The other victim, Aaron Austin, a 29-year-old emergency medical technician, was also shot and killed that night. The crimes were part of a series of six robberies carried out or attempted within a short span of time. The Oxnard Police Department linked the crimes through a fingerprint found at one of the crime scenes, leading to the arrest of three suspects in February 2018.
David Napoleon Diaz Flores, who was 19 at the time of the murders, was identified as the gunman. Flores was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree robbery. In March 2023, a jury found Flores guilty of the charges, and he was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 60 years. The prosecution highlighted the brutality of the crimes, noting that both Eduardo and Aaron were shot multiple times and had no connections to violent activities or gangs.
Two accomplices, Joel Randy Montijo and Joseph Angel Martinez, also faced charges related to the crime spree. Montijo pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and four counts of second-degree robbery, receiving a sentence of 35 years to life in state prison. Martinez, who acted as the driver during the robberies, pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and multiple robbery charges, resulting in a sentence of 20 years and eight months in prison. Both accomplices testified against Flores as part of their plea agreements.
The legal proceedings brought some measure of justice to the families of Eduardo Viveros Leon and Aaron Austin. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office and the Oxnard Police Department worked diligently to unravel the complex case, ensuring that those responsible for the heinous acts were held accountable. The convictions and sentences marked the end of a long and arduous journey for the victims' families, who can now begin the process of healing.
