Southern California Couple Sentenced Over Oxnard Murder

Margarita Jimenez and Jorge Garfias have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for the first-degree murder of Yanelly Vargas, a former girlfriend of Garfias. On March 17, 2024, Vargas was lured out of a bar by Garfias, then driven to a parking lot where she was attacked and ultimately shot by Jimenez, who was caught on surveillance footage pursuing and shooting Vargas. The victim suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest along with blunt force injuries and signs of strangulation. Both defendants were found guilty by a Ventura County jury, with Jimenez sentenced to 80 years to life and Garfias to 25 years to life, despite being acquitted of kidnapping charges. The violent crime was fueled by jealousy after Jimenez discovered text messages between Garfias and Vargas, and the victims' family and friends expressed profound grief and called for maximum sentences to reflect the severity of the crime. Authorities recovered critical evidence at the scene, including a blood trail, a spent shell casing, and items linked to Jimenez, underscoring the brutality of the attack.