Couple Accused of Luring Woman from Bar before Tragic Incident

A California man and woman have been sentenced to prison after a jury found them guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend. They lured her from a bar on St. Patrick’s Day last year and fatally shot her.

Margarita Jimenez, 34, and Jorge Garfias, 38, were found guilty of first-degree murder in the case of Yanelly Vargas, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. The incident began on March 17, 2024, when Garfias received a call from Vargas, 35, while he and Jimenez were watching TV, the Ventura County Star reported.

On hearing another female voice, Jimenez confronted Garfias about the call. He admitted it was his ex-girlfriend Vargas, out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at an Oxnard nightclub, roughly 60 miles from Los Angeles. Jimenez testified she was “tired of the drama,” feeling that Garfias and Vargas might be rekindling their relationship.

“I felt anger, I felt betrayed, I felt lied to,” Jimenez testified.

Garfias and Jimenez went to the nightclub, persuading Vargas via text to come to his truck. They drove her to an industrial alley where an argument ensued, leading to a physical assault, according to prosecutors. Vargas attempted to flee on foot, but they pursued her in the truck.

She confronted Vargas.

“I was sad, mad,” Jimenez said. “I was hostile with her.”

Surveillance footage captured Jimenez chasing Vargas and shooting her in the chest. She attempted another shot, but the gun jammed, prosecutors said. Neighbors alerted police upon hearing a dispute and a gunshot. Officers arrived to find Vargas deceased, with a gunshot wound, blunt force trauma, and evidence of strangulation.

Investigators discovered a blood trail, a 9 mm shell casing, and acrylic nails connected to Jimenez. Additionally, they found a blood-stained yellow rope near Vargas, prosecutors stated.

Cops arrested the suspects about two weeks after the murder.

A trial on special allegations and aggravating factors starts Monday.