Home › News › Local News
Defendant pleads not guilty to stabbing
STORY TOOLS 
More from Local NewsAn Oxnard man accused of fatally stabbing Juan Jose Zarate in May appeared in court this week and had his next hearing set for Sept. 6.
Ernesto Gracia, 29, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he murdered Zarate, 32, of Oxnard outside a business in the 1200 block of Saviers Road on May 6. Gracia was arrested June 8 and is being held in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Witnesses told police that Zarate and Gracia were arguing when the defendant stabbed the victim in the chest, authorities say. Gracia is charged with murder and using a knife while committing murder, according to court records.
He has a prior felony conviction for forgery in 2005, and in 2007 he was convicted of battery on a police officer, a misdemeanor. Gracia also pleaded guilty in 2004 to resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer, another misdemeanor.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.