Ventura police release details in 2023 homicide; suspect also charged in Ojai woman's death
The Ventura County District Attorney's Office charged Christian Alexandre Hillairet, 25, with two counts of murder on June 6. The charges stem from the recent killing of an Ojai woman and that of a Ventura man found dead in late 2023. The police department identified him as William Thompson, 46.
This week the department said that authorities found Thompson's body on Nov. 5, 2023, near the railroad tracks in the 6600 block of Nightingale Street in Ventura. Officers had responded to a 911 call reporting a body near the tracks.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office later ruled his death a homicide. After what police described as a lengthy investigation, detectives obtained new evidence in the case when the sheriff's office arrested Hillairet in early June, according to a news release.
Police did not provide details about the new evidence, saying doing so could jeopardize the case.
Carolyn Nino De Rivera, 26, was found dead in a home in the Upper Ojai area on May 31. Investigators said they learned Hillairet, a suspect in the killing, had crossed the border into Mexico. With help from federal and Mexican authorities, he was arrested in Rosarito days later, officials said.
He was booked into county jail on June 5. His arraignment on the murder charges has been continued and he has not yet entered a plea.
The Ventura Police Department urged anyone with information about the Thompson case to contact the police at 805-650-8010.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura police release new details in 2023 homicide
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
Former reporter's new novel features Valley institutions — including Axios Phoenix
Christina Estes' new mystery novel is chock-full of local references, including one that's especially near and dear to our hearts — a fictional Axios Phoenix reporter. The big picture: " The Story That Wouldn't Die," Estes' second book featuring tenacious television reporter Jolene Garcia, was officially released Tuesday. The intrigue: There's a brief appearance by a fictional Axios Phoenix reporter whose name, Jessmy Doehm, is a mash-up of the two reporters who make this newsletter happen every day. Estes was a longtime Valley journalist who spent years with KJZZ. Zoom in: Garcia's latest adventure has her delving into City Hall corruption, a fitting follow-up to the Emmy-winning reporter's investigation into a controversial radio host's murder in Estes' first book. Part of the story that revolves around development and the displacement of residents was inspired by Estes' reporting, she said. Between the lines: The book in many ways is a love letter to Phoenix, with Garcia visiting restaurants and landmarks throughout town, including Miracle Mile Deli, Sweet Republic, Steele Indian School Park and Fair Trade Cafe. It also opens with a fictionalized version of the 2016 incident in which then-Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton got stuck in an elevator at City Hall. Estes told Axios that Luana's Coffee and Beer added a secret menu item because of the book, so pay attention to the references. "The book's dedication says it all: "To Phoenix, for welcoming me, challenging me, and cheering me," she told Axios Phoenix. My thought bubble: I was especially happy to see Garcia get lunch at Chino Bandito. The north Phoenix Chinese-Mexican fusion eatery has been one of my favorite restaurants for 30 years.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. deported to Mexico
MEXICO CITY — Julio César Chávez Jr., whose high-profile boxing career was marred by substance abuse and other struggles and never approached the heights of his legendary father, was in Mexican custody Tuesday after being deported from the United States. His expulsion had been expected since July, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside his Studio City home and accused him of making 'fraudulent statements' on his application to become a U.S. permanent resident. In Mexico, Chávez, 39, faces charges of organized crime affiliation and arms trafficking, Mexican authorities say. He is the son of Julio César Chávez — widely regarded as Mexico's greatest boxer — and spent his career in the shadow of his fabled father. His father both supported his troubled son and chastised his namesake, whose struggles included substance abuse, legal troubles and challenges in making weight for his bouts. Despite his highly publicized problems, Chávez won the World Boxing Council middleweight title in 2011 before losing the belt the following year. Chávez was turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities at the Arizona border and was being held Tuesday in a federal lockup in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state, authorities here said. During her regular morning news conference, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the boxer was in Mexican custody. Days before his July arrest in Studio City, Chávez faced off in Anaheim for his last bout — against Jake Paul, the influencer-turned-pugilist. Chávez lost the fight. When he was arrested in July, U.S. authorities labeled Chávez an 'affiliate' of the Sinaloa cartel, which is one of Mexico's largest—and most lethal—drug-trafficking syndicates. Chávez has faced criticism over alleged associations with cartel figures, including Ovidio Guzmán, a son of infamous drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, now serving a life sentence in a U.S prison for his leadership role in the Sinaloa cartel. Ovidio Guzmán recently pleaded guilty to drug-trafficking and other charges in federal court in Chicago and is reported to be cooperating with U.S. prosecutors. Controversies have long overshadowed the career of Chávez. Chávez served 13 days in jail for a 2012 drunk-driving conviction in Los Angeles County and was arrested by Los Angeles police in January 2024 on gun charges. According to his attorney, Michael Goldstein, a court adjudicating the gun case granted Chávez a 'mental health diversion,' which, in some cases, can lead to dismissal of criminal charges. 'I'm confident that the issues in Mexico will be cleared up, and he'll be able to continue with his mental health diversion' in California, Goldstein said. A lingering question in the case is why Chávez was apparently allowed to travel freely between the United States and Mexico on several occasions despite a Mexican arrest warrant issued against him in March 2023. On Jan. 4, 2025, according to the Department of Homeland Security, Chávez re-entered the United States from Tijuana into San Diego via the San Ysidro port of entry. He was permitted in despite the pending Mexican arrest warrant and a U.S. determination just a few weeks earlier that Chávez represented 'an egregious public safety threat,' the DHS stated in a July 3 news release revealing the boxer's detention. Homeland Security said that the Biden administration—which was still in charge at the time of Chávez's January entry— had determined that the boxer 'was not an immigration enforcement priority.' While in training for the Paul match, Chávez spoke out publicly against President Trump's ramped-up deportation agenda, which has sparked protests and denunciations across California. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he accused the administration of 'attacking' Latinos. Chávez told The Times: 'I wouldn't want to be deported.' McDonnell reported from Mexico City and El Reda from Los Angeles. Special correspondent Cecilia Sánchez Vidal in Mexico City contributed to this article.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Mexican prison after being deported from U.S.
Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was deported to Mexico and is in jail in Northern Mexico after U.S. immigration arrested him for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. Chávez was wanted in Mexico for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and was handed over to authorities at a checkpoint in the border city of Nogales and then taken to a prison in Sonora, according to multiple reports. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the boxer had been deported to the country, USA Today reported. 3 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., left, throws a punch at Jake Paul during their cruiserweight boxing match. AP Chávez, the son of famed Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez, was arrested in early July by ICE just days after fighting Jake Paul. Prosecutors in Mexico allege that the 39-year-old Chávez had acted as a henchman for the Sinaloa Cartel, which his lawyer and family have denied. 'It's complicated; there's a lot of talk, but we're calm because we know my son's innocence,' Chávez Sr. told Colombian newspaper El Heraldo. 'My son will be anything you want, anything, but he is not a criminal and less everything he's being accused of.' Chávez had entered the country in August 2023 legally with a B2 tourist visa that had been valid through February 2024. 3 Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. squares up against Jake Paul. via REUTERS He was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2024 on felony gun possession charges after police said they found two AR-style ghost rifles in his possession. Chávez pleaded not guilty to the charges and entered a residential treatment program with the case still pending. He won the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defended it three times during his reign. 3 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. reacts during a press conference at The Avalon on May 14, 2025. Getty Images In a statement released at the time of Chávez's detainment by ICE, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said that 'no one is above the law— including world-famous athletes.' 'Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over,' she said.
