Concord Man Convicted of 'Execution-Style' Murder

A jury convicted a Concord man on Thursday of the “execution-style” murder of a Brentwood resident during a family gathering in 2013, a prosecutor said today.

Vincent Ochoa was 29 years old when he shot 25-year-old Ismael Garcia Ramirez on the night of April 6, according to police.

Friends and family were gathering in the parking lot of 1090 Mi Casa Court, near Monument Boulevard, for a baptismal celebration, Deputy District Attorney Simon O’Connell said.

As the night wore on and more alcohol was consumed, the celebration turned into an after-party of sorts, and O’Connell said Ramirez, an invited guest, made a few belligerent comments, which ultimately led to the orchestration of his murder.

“Ochoa was called in and arrived in front of children playing soccer and parents holding babies,” O’Connell said. “He places the revolver to (Ramirez’s) forehead and says, ‘Are you the tough guy now?’ and executes him.”

Ochoa, a reputed gang member, believed no one would testify in court against him, O’Connell said.

O’Connell credited bilingual officers at the Concord Police Department with building trust within the community that ultimately led to five eye-witnesses placing Ochoa as the shooter.

“The community really stood up to this gratuitous violence and said this can’t continue; this can’t happen any longer,” O’Connell said. “They stood in unity to say our community is better than this.”

The jury deliberated for roughly a day before convicting Ochoa, according to Ochoa’s attorney, Elizabeth Harrigan.

Ramirez’s family was in the court to hear the verdict, along with Ochoa’s relatives, some of whom were visibly distraught when Ochoa was convicted, Harrigan said.

“I’m very sorry for the victim’s family,” Harrigan said. “Some family of my client’s, who were at court yesterday, were very sad about the fact that their loved one was convicted of this crime.”

She said she would be reviewing the case to see if there were any issues that need to be raised during sentencing.

Ochoa is facing a mandatory 60 years to life in prison, O’Connell said. The sentencing is scheduled for July 10.

--Bay City News; Patch image archive

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