Oxnard police investigate stabbing death of 67-year-old woman; public's help sought

Oxnard police are seeking the public's help as they investigate the death of a 67-year-old woman found stabbed early Thursday morning.

The incident was reported at 2:05 a.m. as a wellness check in the 200 block of West Pleasant Valley Road, the Oxnard Police Department reported. The woman was reportedly down on the ground in front of the 24-hour laundromat there. The site is in a shopping center anchored by Tresierras Supermarket on the west side of Saviers Road. A man was stabbed to death in the same center in an unrelated incident last month.

On Thursday, police arrived to find the woman unconscious on the ground with a laceration on her face. She was later pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said she was homeless and known to frequent the area.

CRIME:Two Oxnard men arrested after child pornography investigation

Police ruled the death suspicious but could not determine the cause at the scene. The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office took over the death investigation and found the woman suffered a small stab wound to her torso, according to authorities.

The medical examiner's office later determined the woman had died from the stab wound, said Sgt. Edgar Fernandez, who leads the police department's major crimes unit.

The incident marks Oxnard's fifth homicide this year. Authorities have not yet released the victim's identity pending notification of family.

On Friday, Fernandez said police are asking the public for any information about what happened as well as the victim's activity before the stabbing.

While investigators don't yet know exactly when the stabbing occurred, the victim was not on the ground for an extended period, he said. Detectives are trying to retrace the woman's whereabouts to create a timeline as to where she was.

"We're uncertain as to what caused the incident and who was there at the time," Fernandez said. Because of the early-morning hour and social distancing, there were not many people out, he said.

"Anyone who was out at the time and who may have seen anything out of the ordinary, please contact us," Fernandez said.

If anyone has information about the victim's activity or saw what took place, call Detective John Sunia at 805-385-7760. Photo and video evidence can be sent directly to police at the following link: https://oxnardpd.evidence.com/axon/citizen/public/200wpv.

In an unrelated incident at the same shopping center on March 14, 52-year-old Alexander Benavidez died from a stab wound to the neck. Benavidez had reportedly gotten into a fight outside the laundromat with the suspect, 38-year-old Andrew Anthony Rodriguez, and was stabbed multiple times in front of a charter school at the west end of the center.

Rodriguez, described as homeless, has been charged with murder and remained in Ventura County jail Friday in lieu of $1 million bail. He is slated to appear in court April 24.

Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com. You can also find him on Twitter @Jeremy_Childs.