Roundup: Guilty plea in Kelsey Dillon murder, more news
Here's a roundup of recent incidents from Ventura County agencies:
Plea change in murder case
A woman accused of the 2021 murder of an unhoused woman in Ventura changed her plea to guilty on Tuesday, court records show.
Sandra June Dillard, 40, had previously pleaded not guilty in December in the death of Kelsey Ann Dillon, 30, a former Thousand Oaks resident who had been living on the streets in Ventura at the time of her death.
On Tuesday, Dillard withdrew the earlier plea and then pleaded guilty to one count of murder before Ventura County Superior Court Judge Bruce Young, court records show. In the plea agreement, Dillard also admitted the special allegation of a serious prior felony.
Dillon's body was found on Sept. 24, 2021, in a homeless encampment near the Highway 33 onramp at Olive Street. She had been killed two days prior as a result of stab wounds and blunt force trauma, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Because of the location, the case was investigated by the California Highway Patrol.
Less than three months before her death, Dillon had posted a video requesting financial support to get off the streets because she felt unsafe. The video, which resurfaced after she was murdered, drew additional attention to the case.
After a yearlong investigation, CHP officials arrested Dillard in September.
On Wednesday, a spokesman for the DA's office said the plea deal essentially resolved three open felony cases. In addition to the murder charge, Dillard faced a felony for an allegedly stolen gun and had also reportedly bit a deputy while in jail, said Joey Buttitta, the spokesman.
With the plea deal, she will face a possible sentence of 25 years to life plus seven years, which would likely keep her behind bars past her 60th birthday, Buttitta said.
Sentencing has been scheduled for the morning of March 28 in courtroom 23.
Man sentenced in death of brother-in-law
An Oxnard man has been sentenced to prison for the fatal shooting of his brother-in-law in 2018.
Jonathan Fuentes, now 26, was sentenced Monday to 19 years to life in prison by Ventura County Superior Court Judge Gilbert Romero. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
Fuentes shot Ryan Switzer, 33, in March 2018 at the home they shared on Deodar Avenue in Oxnard, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Switzer was shot in front of his three children, prosecutors said. Fuentes had fled the home and was arrested the following day by Oxnard police.
In December, Fuentes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and admitted to a special allegation he had used a firearm. He remained in county jail Tuesday. Sheriff's officials will transport him to Wasco State Prison, court records show.
Items may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Guilty plea in Kelsey Dillon murder, more news
