Venue Change Urged for Murder Trial

Defense attorneys for Jose Vazquez are seeking a change of venue in his upcoming murder trial, arguing in court papers that publicity has tainted the prospective jury pool to the point that he cannot receive a fair trial.

But prosecutors have fired back a written response, arguing that it has been three months since an article has been written about the slaying of Ventura restaurant owner Felipe Arambula.

They say the defense has produced only 15 newspaper clippings about the case, “which could hardly be termed as a ‘deluge’ of pretrial publicity that would prevent the seating of a fair jury.”

And they argue that neither the victim nor the 37-year-old defendant were prominent members of the community, a consideration cited under case law as a ground for changing trial venue.

The motion is scheduled to be argued Wednesday, the same day Vazquez’s trial is set to begin in Ventura County Superior Court.

Authorities believe Vazquez of Camarillo planned a kidnap-for-hire scheme in which he allegedly agreed to pay two men to nab Arambula at his Ventura home June 13, 1998.

One of those men, 19-year-old William Hampton Jr., pleaded guilty to murder charges and was sentenced to a life prison term in April.

Authorities say Hampton and Manuel Vasquez detained Arambula’s wife in the couple’s bedroom for several hours until Arambula returned. The restaurateur struggled with his attackers before being fatally shot six times.

The motive for the attempted kidnapping is unclear.