From left: Margarita Jimenez and Jorge Garfias (Ventura County District Attorney) and Yanelly Vargas (Camino Del Sol Funeral Home).
A California man and woman are headed to prison for decades for the murder of his ex-girlfriend after they lured her out of a bar on St. Patrick”s Day last year and shot her to death.
Margarita Jimenez, 34, was sentenced to 80 years to life behind bars, while a judge sent Jorge Garfias, 38, to prison for 25 years to life in the death of Yanelly Vargas, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Jimenez and Garfias were convicted of first-degree murder last month.
Police in Oxnard, which is some 60 miles west of Los Angeles, responded to a nightclub just before midnight on March 17, 2024, for a call about a man and woman fighting. Gunshots rang out during the 911 call. Cops found the 35-year-old Vargas suffering from a gunshot wound. She was rushed to the hospital where she later died.
Vargas’ family members made victim impact statements during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.
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“You stole Yanelly’s life from us,” said loved one Sonia Correa, the Ventura County Star reported. “You took a mother, friend, sister and woman of strength and compassion, leaving a void that will never be filled.”
Vargas was a mother of five who enjoyed cooking with family.
“She was the one who gave me life, and yet she was taken away far too soon,” her daughter Citlali Correa reportedly told the court.
Added Vargas’ mother Irene Sandoval: “I lost someone truly special. I lost my everything. There’s a hole in my heart that will never be filled.”
Jimenez reportedly said she had “no excuse” and had “no right” to murder Vargas. She says she prays for the victim’s children every day.
Judge Catherine Voelker was quick to admonish Jimenez.
“You get to talk to your children every day,” Voelker said, per the Star. “You stole that from Ms. Vargas.”
While Garfias did not pull the trigger, he still bears a huge responsibility for her death, the judge pointed out.
“But for Mr. Garfias’ active participation in the murder, I have no doubt that Ms. Vargas would still be alive,” Voelker reportedly said.
As Law&Crime previously reported, the tragic set of events were sparked when Garfias received a phone call from the 35-year-old Vargas as he and Jimenez watched TV.
Jimenez testified at trial that she heard a female’s voice on the other line and confronted Garfias about who he was speaking with, the Star reported. Garfias admitted it was Vargas. Jimenez testified she was “tired of the drama.” She said she felt as if Garfias and Vargas were rekindling their relationship.
“I felt anger, I felt betrayed, I felt lied to,” Jimenez testified.
Garfias and Jimenez drove to the nightclub and lured her to his truck via text. They drove Vargas to an alley in an industrial area where an argument turned physical and the suspects beat the victim, prosecutors said. Vargas got out of the truck and tried to run away but the suspects followed her in Garfias’ truck.
Jimenez confronted Vargas.
“I was sad, mad,” Jimenez said. “I was hostile with her.”
Surveillance video showed Jimenez exit the truck, run after Vargas and shoot her dead in the chest. She tried to blast her again but the gun jammed, prosecutors said. Neighbors called 911 when they saw a man and a woman arguing and dispatchers heard the gunshot. Cops rushed to the scene and found Vargas dead. In addition to the gunshot wound, she also suffered from blunt force trauma and signs of strangulation.
Investigators found a blood trail, a spent 9 mm shell casing and acrylic nails that were later tied to Jimenez. There was also a blood-stained yellow rope near the victim, prosecutors said.
Cops arrested the suspects about two weeks after the murder.
