THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — After 28 years of unanswered questions, justice has been served in the 1997 murder of Monica Leech, a Camarillo mother of four killed during a brutal bank robbery in Thousand Oaks.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that Kevin Ray James, 57, of San Bernardino, pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025, to second-degree murder and admitted to personally using a firearm during the deadly heist.
James will receive a sentence of 19 years to life in state prison. His formal sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 44 of the Ventura County Superior Court.
The crime occurred on April 28, 1997, when James and an accomplice—both disguised as construction workers—stormed Western Financial Bank on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. They herded employees, including Monica Leech, into the bank vault, demanding access to the safe.
Leech and another employee were handcuffed and forced to kneel. Leech was fatally shot, and the suspects fled with just over $11,000 in cash.
The case remained cold for over two decades until new forensic evidence and investigative breakthroughs led authorities to James. He was formally charged with Leech’s murder in March 2023.
“This resolution not only holds him accountable but also protects our community and spares Monica’s loved ones the pain of reliving this tragedy through a prolonged trial,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Richard Simon, who prosecuted the case alongside Hayley Moyer of the DA’s Major Crimes Unit.
In a joint statement, the Leech and Cavaletto families expressed relief: “While nothing can bring Monica back, we are pleased that the defendant has accepted responsibility for her death.”
