Teen Convicted of First‑Degree Murder in Oxnard Church Beating
Video evidence of two youths repeatedly attacking a vulnerable man convinced prosecutors to press juvenile charges and the case now moves to sentencing.
Overview
- The killing of Davy Glen Pichel occurred in June 2025 when a volunteer found him injured outside St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, according to police and court records.
- A 16-year-old was found guilty of willful, deliberate and premeditated first-degree murder following a contested jurisdictional hearing on June 26 and will be sentenced in juvenile court.
- Church security video presented at the hearing showed two teens approach Pichel near the church entrance and repeatedly beat and stomp him, walking away and returning more than once.
- Sentencing is scheduled for July 13 at the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center and the teen faces a statutory maximum base term of seven years in a Secured Youth Treatment Facility.
- Under California law juvenile court jurisdiction ends at age 25 and murder commitments to a secured youth treatment facility typically run four to seven years, a limit that shapes the punishments available in this case.