Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that a jury has found Sergio Contreras a 19-year-old man from Oxnard, guilty of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit a crime, and street terrorism. The jury also found true all special allegations, including causing great bodily injury in the commission of a felony and violent felony street gang activity.
The court further found true multiple aggravating factors, including that the crime involved great violence, that Contreras was armed with and used a weapon, that he engaged in violent conduct, and that he was on probation when he committed the offense.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Lauren Malan, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Major Crimes Gangs Unit, prosecuted the case.
“Gang crimes continue to pose a very real threat to the safety of our community,” Ms. Malan said. “The victim in this case was seriously injured by the defendant in an unprovoked attack. I am very grateful for the jury’s verdict. I also want to acknowledge the hard work of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and the Oxnard Police Department in bringing the defendant to justice.”
On August 19, 2024, the victim was in an El Rio restaurant parking lot when Contreras and three others, all known gang members, targeted him. Surveillance video captured Contreras driving a white Honda Accord into the lot, parking near the victim, and remaining inside with the others as they watched him. Contreras then exited, exchanged words with the victim, and sucker punched him before placing him in a headlock. The three passengers immediately joined in, punching and kicking the victim.
The victim briefly broke free and tried to run but was tripped and knocked to the ground, where all four attackers continued the assault. The video shows Contreras removing what appeared to be a folding knife from his pocket, opening it, and stabbing the victim twice, once in the leg and once in the arm as the victim shielded his neck. Contreras then folded the knife, put it back in his pocket, and fled with the others, who also took one of the victim’s shoes.
The knife was never recovered. Detectives later found the stolen shoe during a search of one of the defendant’s residences.
Two of the other defendants involved in the attack previously pled guilty to assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit a crime, and street terrorism. The third was a juvenile who pled guilty to assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, conspiracy to commit a crime, and participation in a criminal street gang.
Contreras is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 24 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He remains in custody with no bail and faces up to 18 years in state prison.