Convicted Gang Member Denied Early Release By Prison Board In Attempted Murder

District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced today that prison inmate Oscar Perez, age 34, of Santa Rosa was denied early release on parole after a contested hearing held remotely via Zoom before the Board of Prison Terms on Thursday, April 30th, 2020. Inmate Perez petitioned the Board of Parole Hearings for early release under SB261, passed in 2016, which extended certain early release provisions to inmates who committed their crimes when they were under the age of twenty- three. Inmate Perez was twenty years old and an active gang member when he committed these crimes.

District Attorney Ravitch stated, “I am very happy with the prison board’s decision. This was a vicious gang attack resulting in the attempted murder of an innocent young woman. This kind of senseless violence will be met with vigorous prosecution and a lengthy prison term. It is in the interest of justice and the continued safety of our community that this defendant serve the full extent of his negotiated prison term.”

The charges resulted from a March 11, 2006 gang-related shooting at an apartment complex on Sebastopol Road in Santa Rosa. Inmate Perez and an accomplice arrived at the complex in a car armed with two semi-automatic pistols. A rival gang was throwing a party with approximately thirty people at the complex at the time. Inmate Perez fired multiple 9mm rounds into a car with three occupants leaving the party. One of the occupants, a young woman seated in the back seat, was struck in the lower back by one of the bullets, hitting her spine. She was paralyzed from the waist down as a result. After shooting this victim, Inmate Perez ran upstairs and fired multiple rounds at a second victim who had fled inside an apartment. Inmate Perez and his accomplice fled the scene but were quickly apprehended by Santa Rosa Police officers.

In 2008 inmate Perez pled no contest to attempted murder and admitted personal use of a firearm and a special gang enhancement. He agreed to a total stipulated term of twenty-nine years and eight months in state prison.

In denying the inmate’s petition, the prison board noted that inmate Perez had actively participated in gang activity in prison, was still actively associating with prison gang members, had multiple rule violations and a new felony weapons conviction while housed in prison, and that he continues to pose a substantial risk to public safety.

The case was investigated by the violent crimes unit of the Santa Rosa Police department and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Robert J. Waner.