A man has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend in Ventura County, California, as announced by a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, January 15. Uriel Gamboa, 31, made a call to authorities on Monday, January 6, at 10:45 p.m., confessing to killing his girlfriend, Aliya Pitts, 24, within their room at the Palm Garden Hotel in Thousand Oaks, California, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO). Deputies from the VCSO arrived at the scene shortly before 11:00 p.m. and discovered Pitts’s lifeless body in the room. The cause of Pitts’s death was determined to be sharp and blunt force injuries with probable strangulation, as reported by the Ventura County Medical Examiner, as per The Ventura County Star.
The complaint from prosecutors alleges that Pitt was murdered using a “broken bottle/shards of glass,” according to The County Star. Gamboa reportedly sustained self-inflicted injuries and indicated to authorities that he was experiencing suicidal thoughts, according to the latest press release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. Following his apprehension by law enforcement, Gamboa was transported to a local hospital and subsequently discharged on Friday, January 10. He was then arrested on charges of murder. On Tuesday, January 14, additional charges were brought against Gamboa, including the use of a deadly weapon, commission of a crime resulting in great bodily injury, and engagement in a crime of great violence. Gamboa is being held in custody without bail, with an arraignment scheduled for Monday, February 10, at Ventura County Superior Court.
The motive behind the tragic murder is currently under investigation. The VCSO stated that the incident appears to be isolated, with no ongoing threat to public safety. Individuals with relevant information are urged to contact Detective Christopher Vorzimer at 805-384-4731 or Detective Nicole Grover at 805-384-4722.
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In cases of domestic violence, individuals are encouraged to reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org for assistance. The hotline offers free and confidential support 24/7 in over 170 languages. If anyone is contemplating suicide, they can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or visit 988lifeline.org.
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