VENTURA, Calif. – Kevin Ray James, a 57-year-old San Bernardino man, pleaded guilty to a 1997 bank robbery murder in Thousand Oaks using a firearm in the crime, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
James' sentence will be 19 years to life in state prison as part of the plea deal after he murdered Monica Leach in the incident, according to the VCDAO.
James and another man disguised themselves as construction workers on April 28, 1997 when they entered Western Financial Bank on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, according to the VCDAO.
They then forced two employees into handcuffs and demanded access to the safe room before Leach was fatally shot, according to the VCDAO.
Leach left behind four children after she died at the scene and the two men took just over $11,000 in cash, according to the VCDAO.
The case went cold for over two decades until new evidence traced back to James as a primary suspect in the crime, according to the VCDAO.
James was charged for Leach's murder on March 13, 2023 and both victims' families shared a joint statement on the long overdue resolution:
“Losing Monica has been an unbearable tragedy. While nothing can bring her back, we are pleased that the defendant has accepted responsibility for her death. This outcome brings a sense of justice and accountability and allows us to begin moving forward while honoring Monica’s memory. We want to thank investigators with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and prosecutors and investigators with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for staying with it and achieving this outcome.”
Leach and Cavaletto families
James pleaded guilty to the charge of second-degree murder and admitted the special allegation of using a firearm during the crime.
Kevin Ray James pleads guilty to 1997 bank robbery murder News Channel 3-12.
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