Death of Rio Mesa High Student Called a Homicide

Ventura County sheriff’s detectives are continuing their investigation into the shooting death of a Rio Mesa High School football player last week.

By late Monday, police had not made any arrests and do not have any suspects, but they consider the death a homicide.

Frank Miramontez, 17, died Friday morning of gunshot wounds after he was pulled from a burning car in the 2600 block of Cortez Street in the El Rio community north of Oxnard late Thursday night. He had been shot twice in the head.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Larry Meyers said that Miramontez was not a gang member and was not known to associate with a gang. “And there is nothing to indicate that it was gang related at this time,” Meyers said.

Family members and friends said they cannot imagine why this happened.

“I’m so in shock,” said one of Miramontez’s three aunts, who did not want to give her name. “We just don’t know who would do this.”

Miramontez, a high school junior, lived with his mother and grandparents in a house on Carnation Place in Oxnard. He worked as an apprentice at an auto-body shop, and looked to his grandfather, who worked as an auto mechanic, as a role model. He also made custom bicycles, and wanted to go to community college after graduation.

“He wasn’t a great student, but he tried,” his aunt said. “And he was a quiet boy and was real loving.”

The shy, hard-working teen was a reserve defensive lineman on Rio Mesa High’s varsity football team, and he loved to lift weights.

“He was dedicated and well-liked,” said George Contreras, Rio Mesa High’s head football coach. “We were counting on him to be one of our starters next year.”

Contreras said Miramontez was a nice kid who hung out with other football players.

“Some kids you look at and figure they’ll end up in some kind of trouble,” Contreras said. “But that wasn’t the case with Frank. This is such a surprise that it would be someone like him.”

One of the victim’s friends, Mark Manansala, 15, said Miramontez was dependable and down-to-earth.

“He was awesome,” Manansala said. “It was a shock because I didn’t know why anyone would do that. Everyone liked him, you know?”

Fire crews responded to a call of a burning car on Cortez Street late Thursday, and found Miramontez slumped inside the car. He was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, where he died Friday morning.

Anyone who has more information about the crime is asked to contact Sgt. William Hammer at the Sheriff’s Department, 654-2311.

Gorman is a Times staff writer; Cooper is a Times Community News reporter.