Roundup: Murder case where body was found in Gaviota moves forward, more news
Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:
Plea entered again in murder case involving transport to Gaviota
VENTURA COUNTY — A man accused of murdering his estranged wife outside Oxnard last year and disposing of her body in the Gaviota area has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.
Josefino Cayetano Maldonado, 42, entered the plea Friday in Ventura County Superior Court, records show. He also denied a special allegation involving use of a deadly weapon. He was represented by the Ventura County Public Defender's Office and appeared via video conference.
A not guilty plea had previously been entered about a year ago. Friday's plea was entered after a new filing by prosecutors, court records show.
The Salinas resident allegedly bludgeoned the victim with a rock after becoming enraged when she refused to reconcile with him, authorities have said.
The incident reportedly took place in the early hours of July 11, 2021, while the pair were on an outing and had stopped to take a roadside bathroom break near 305 E. Hueneme Road, east of Oxnard city limits, where Pacific Sod is located.
Maldonado's estranged wife, Oxnard resident Eudelia Gonzalez Rojas, 46, had been reported missing by her family. She had left home around 9 p.m. on July 10 in a car family members didn't recognize, according to the Oxnard Police Department.
Investigators later said the two had driven past CSU Channel Islands and into Newbury Park before heading back to Oxnard. The outing reportedly turned violent after Gonzalez Rojas told Maldonado she preferred to stay with her current boyfriend rather than reconcile with him.
In the days before the victim's body was found, Oxnard police sought the public's help as they searched for the missing woman.
Gonzalez Rojas' body was found on July 16 last year along an embankment on Highway 101 north of the Gaviota Tunnel in Santa Barbara County.
Oxnard police detectives had served a search warrant at Maldonado's Salinas home a day earlier, when he allegedly confessed to the killing and told authorities where he had dumped the body.
Friday's hearing was held before Ventura County Superior Court Judge Derek Malan. The next court date is a pre-trial conference set for the afternoon of Sept. 16 in courtroom 12.
Maldonado remains in Ventura County jail custody, where he is not eligible for bail.
Auto insurance fraud could bring jail time, big fine
VENTURA COUNTY — An Oxnard man could face up to five years in county jail after pleading guilty in a case where he tried to get auto insurance after getting into an accident, authorities said.
Jose Ramos Solis, 38, pleaded guilty on Monday to felony automobile insurance fraud, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
In October 2020, Solis got into an accident in Oxnard and was uninsured at the time, prosecutors said. About an hour after the incident, he purchased coverage from Sentry Insurance. He reported the accident two days later as if it happened after he bought the policy.
The other driver had reported the accident to the Oxnard Police Department and his insurer, Progressive Insurance. An investigation by police, both insurance companies and the California Department of Insurance revealed the fraud, prosecutors said.
Solis will be sentenced in Ventura County Superior Court on Sept. 20. Felony auto insurance fraud can bring up to five years jail time and a fine up to $50,000 or double the amount of fraud, whichever is greater, according to the DA's office.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Man accused of dumping woman's body in Gaviota pleads not guilty, more
