Camarillo man found guilty of second-degree murder, faces 20 years to life in prison

VENTURA - A jury found a Camarillo man guilty of second-degree murder for striking and killing a pedestrian with a vehicle and then driving away.

Joseph Cantrell, 31, was also found guilty Wednesday of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license stemming from an Aug. 23, 2015, incident that killed Randel Lee Fillmore as walked in a Camarillo crosswalk, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

At the time, Cantrell had already been convicted of two DUI offenses in Ventura County, prosecutors said.

On the day of the fatal crash, he had been drinking at a Camarillo residence and drove away intoxicated and with a suspended license. 

Cantrell made his way to the intersection of Mobil Avenue and Ponderosa Drive, drove through a red light and hit Fillmore, who was walking in a marked crosswalk. But the driver didn't stop and his vehicle crashed into a parked car.

Residents caught him after hearing the ruckus from the crash and seeing Cantrell leaving. He was taken to a hospital and then to jail.

Ventura County sheriff’s investigators found Cantrell’s blood alcohol concentration to be 0.17 percent, more than double the legal limit.

Cantrell faces the possibility of 20 years to life in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing in Courtroom 14 of Ventura Superior Court at 3 p.m. Dec. 12.