Inset, left to right: Ramon Joseph Rivas and Jessica Marie Tinoco (Ventura County District Attorney’s Office). Background: The residential street near the Simi Valley, Calif., location where Rivas fatally stabbed Tinoco (Google Maps).
A California man has been sentenced to decades in prison for the brutal killing of his girlfriend, who was stabbed to death in front of her children.
Ramon Joseph Rivas, 36, pleaded guilty in May to one count of second-degree murder in the September 2024 death of 34-year-old Jessica Marie Tinoco, according to a press release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
As part of the plea, Rivas also admitted to several special allegations — California’s form of sentencing enhancements — including that he used a deadly weapon, that the crime involved great violence, and that Tinoco was a particularly vulnerable victim.
On Friday, a judge sentenced Rivas to 51 years to life in state prison.
“The defendant’s willingness to take responsibility for his horrendous crime doesn’t excuse what he did to the victim and her family,” Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick said in a separate press release announcing the sentence.
The deadly attack took place inside the couple’s shared home in Simi Valley, a city in Ventura County located about 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
On Sept. 27, 2024, police arrived at the home and encountered Rivas walking out shirtless, with blood visible on his upper torso.
The defendant was swiftly taken into custody as officers went inside to find Tinoco lying just inside the front door. The mother of five was suffering from multiple wounds to her face, abdomen, and arm.
Investigators soon found the discarded murder weapon on the living room floor — a bent steak knife covered in blood. There was also blood present throughout the residence.
The victim was rushed to Los Robles Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
All five of Tinoco’s children watched their mother being stabbed to death, according to the district attorney’s office.
“Witnesses stated that during a domestic dispute, Rivas went into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and began attacking Tinoco,” the press release reads. “The children fled the residence. Tinoco was stabbed multiple times, including four wounds that were determined to be fatal.”
The victim’s family addressed the horror of the crime and the defendant himself during sentencing, according to a courtroom report by West Coast The CW flagship television station KTLA.
“Imagine seeing someone take your mom and there’s nothing you can do about it,” one of Tinoco’s daughters said, recalling how she saw Rivas beating her mother and begging him to stop.
“I hope you realize you had a good family who loved you and know that you will not be able to experience that again,” another of the victim’s daughters said.
The defendant himself offered an apology during the hearing.
“I’m forever scarred by the split-second decision I made,” Rivas said, directly addressing the victim’s two children who were in court, according to the Ventura County Star. “I’m so, so sorry.”
The post ‘Nothing you can do about it’: Man sentenced for repeatedly stabbing girlfriend to death in front of her 5 children first appeared on Law & Crime.
