OCEANSIDE, CA — A man who fatally shot a 19-year-old Oceanside man who he mistakenly believed was a gang member was sentenced again Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Anthony Byron Williams, 30, was convicted twice by Vista juries for the June 5, 2017, shooting death of Bernaldo Ramires.
Prosecutors said Ramires and his father were trying to start Ramires' car outside their home at around 6:15 a.m., when Williams drove up to the victim and asked him if he was a member of a specific gang that claimed that area as its territory. Ramires responded that he lived in the area, after which Williams shot the victim and drove away, prosecutors said.
Williams was arrested about two months later and confessed to committing the killing to undercover officers who posed as fellow jail inmates, according to prosecutors.
Williams was convicted of murder in 2019 and sentenced to life without parole, but an appellate court overturned the conviction after ruling a judge incorrectly denied Williams' right to the attorney of his choice. He was convicted again in 2023 of first-degree murder, plus a special circumstance allegation of discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
His sentencing was delayed after his attorney filed a Racial Justice Act motion, which alleged similarly situated defendants of different races were not charged with special circumstance allegations, which trigger sentences of at least life without parole. A judge denied that motion earlier this year.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Los Angeles Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.