OXNARD, Calif. – A gang member in Oxnard, California, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a young father, marking the culmination of a tragic case that shook the community.
David Guadalupe Calderon, a 31-year-old registered gang member, was found guilty of the 2012 shooting death of 19-year-old Edwin Herrera. The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office revealed that Calderon, accompanied by another gang member, Carlos Hernandez, drove through the Lemonwood neighborhood with a sawed-off shotgun, seeking to bolster his reputation within the gang.
The fatal encounter occurred on February 29, 2012, when Calderon and Hernandez came across Herrera, who was attempting to move his car to avoid a parking ticket. Without any affiliation to a gang, Herrera was approached by Calderon, who interrogated him about his gang ties. Despite Herrera’s denial, Calderon shot him at close range in the neck before fleeing the scene with his accomplice.
Herrera’s family rushed outside upon hearing the gunshot, only to discover him slumped in his car. Despite immediate medical attention, Herrera succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Subsequent investigations revealed that Calderon and Hernandez had purchased unique shotgun ammunition on the day of the murder, which was used in the fatal shooting.
Around 25 minutes after the shooting, security footage captured Calderon calmly ordering a pizza at a local shop. Days later, he sold the murder weapon to another gang member. Police later recovered the shotgun from a home during a search warrant execution on March 30, 2012.
Calderon was indicted and charged in 2015, already in custody for an unrelated robbery, where he was overheard bragging about Herrera’s murder to another inmate. Following a jury conviction for first-degree murder in March 2024, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole, along with additional years for related crimes.
The senior deputy district attorney on the case commended the Oxnard Police Department’s relentless efforts in solving the case, providing closure for Herrera’s family. The successful conviction and sentencing of Calderon serve as a critical step in delivering justice and allowing the healing process to begin for the victim’s loved ones.