Former Oxnard Resident Guilty in Teenager’s Slaying

A Ventura County jury Wednesday convicted a 19-year-old former Oxnard man of first degree murder for the execution-style slaying last year of another teenager.

Marcelle Williams was convicted in the death of Joshua Pelaya, 18, who was shot in his family’s Oxnard home on Glacier Avenue on Feb. 21, 2003. Pelaya, who knew Williams, had been shot twice in the back of the head, authorities said.

Hours after the shooting, police obtained a search warrant for Williams’ home in Oxnard. Williams told officers he was nowhere near the Pelaya house at the time of the shooting, authorities said.

However, an analysis completed in August 2003 showed that DNA evidence collected at Williams’ home was statistically likely to have been from Pelaya. Police then obtained an arrest warrant for Williams, who had moved to Hayward in Alameda County the day after the slaying. Alameda County sheriff’s officials arrested Williams without incident, authorities said.

Williams will be sentenced Jan. 5 in Ventura County Superior Court. He faces a possible term of 25 years to life in prison, Sr. Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Simon said.

Williams was also convicted Wednesday of a special circumstance allegation because the slaying involved use of a firearm, Simon said. The special circumstance makes Williams eligible to receive a second 25-years-to-life term, Simon said.