OXNARD : Body of Woman Found Fatally Shot in Celery Field

A partially clad body of a 30-year-old Oxnard woman shot twice in the face was found Sunday morning in an irrigation ditch next to a celery field southeast of Oxnard, Ventura County sheriff’s deputies said.

Genovena Gonzalez was found about 6:45 a.m. by two men on a fishing trip. The men were driving south on Arnold Road in an unincorporated area of the county just north of Point Mugu Naval Air Station, Detective Lt. Joe Harwell said.

Gonzalez died from two gunshot wounds to her face, one below her left eye and one above the eye, Deputy Coroner Craig Stevens said.

Harwell said detectives found no signs of struggle at the scene, indicating that she could have been dumped in the ditch after the shooting.

“It seems that this was something that happened in the middle of the night,” Detective Sgt. Mike Barnes said.

As of Sunday evening, detectives said they had no suspects in the death.

Gonzalez, who was found face-up in the ditch, was wearing a yellow blouse and a blue-jean jacket, and a white sock on her left foot.

Stevens said the results of tests to determine if the woman had been sexually assaulted will be released today.