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OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
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INCIDENT: |
Arrest in the Murder of Peter Morales |
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DATE/TIME: |
December 18, 2019, at about 2:00 P.M. |
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LOCATION: |
Hood River County, Oregon |
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VICTIM(S): |
Peter Morales, 17-year-old, Hispanic male |
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SUSPECT(S): |
Jose Manuel Dimas, 21-year-old Hispanic male |
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PREPARED BY: |
Sergeant Scott Aaron (805) 385-7763 |
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FOLLOW UP MEDIA CONTACT PERSONS AND CONTACT INFO: |
Sergeant Scott Aaron (805) 385-7763 Commander Sharon Giles (805) 385-7620 |
DETAILS:
On September 14, 2019, at about 10:45 P.M., patrol officers from the Oxnard Police Department along with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to the 1700 block of Elsinore Circle for a reported shooting victim. When officers arrived, they located a 17-year-old Peter Morales suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS transported him by ambulance to the Ventura County Medical Center, but he did not survive his injuries.
Major Crimes investigators worked tirelessly and thoroughly investigated the murder of Mr. Morales to identify the person responsible for his death. During the investigation, Major Crimes investigators interviewed numerous people who provided valuable information. As the homicide investigation continued, investigators positively identified 21-year-old Jose Dimas as the person responsible for the death of Mr. Morales.
Major Crimes investigators worked with the Oxnard Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit, the Cyber Investigations Unit and Special Enforcement Unit, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, Hillsboro Police Department (Oregon), and the Oregon State Police.
On December 18, 2019, Mr. Dimas was taken into custody without incident for murder in Hood River, Oregon. Mr. Dimas was booked into a Hood River County Detention Facility awaiting extradition to Ventura County on a bail amount of $555,000.
Investigators are encouraging anyone who may have heard or seen anything to contact Detective Miguel Serrato (805) 385-7688. Investigators are also encouraging anyone who may have video recorded or photographed all or part of the incident, to upload your media directly to the investigators via the following link: https://oxnardpd.evidence.com/axon/citizen/public/1700elsinorecir. All submissions are immediately logged into the Oxnard Police Department’s digital evidence system. Contact information is not stored by Axon and community members can remain anonymous, choosing to upload their files without providing contact information.
The City of Oxnard offers a reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any individuals responsible for committing homicides within the City.
Anyone with information regarding this case or other criminal activity is encouraged to contact the Oxnard Police Department at (805) 385-7600, or online via the Oxnard Police Department’s website: www.oxnardpd.org, and clicking on Report Suspicious Activity. You can remain anonymous if you choose to do so. You can also remain anonymous by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. You can also visit this site: www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org to submit a tip via text or email.
DATE / TIME PREPARED: December 18, 2019, 2:30 P.M.
(Booking photo from May 2019)
Jose Manuel Dimas, DOB 9/5/1998