Man admits 2022 Montalvo bike path stabbing, faces 26 years to life
Pedro Munoz, 43, of Ventura, pled guilty Oct. 5 to first-degree murder for the July 2022 knife killing of Marcos Guzman Reyes on a Ventura bike path. He admitted he was on parole at the time and faces 26 years to life at his Nov. 2 sentencing.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Pedro Munoz, 43, of Ventura, pled guilty on Oct. 5, 2026, to the first-degree murder of Marcos Guzman Reyes.
The crime. On July 23, 2022, Munoz used a knife to stab Reyes to death on a bike path in Ventura's Montalvo neighborhood, according to the district attorney's Oct. 7 news release. Both men were unhoused and staying in the same area. Video surveillance captured both men entering the bike path and Munoz fleeing the area shortly after the stabbing. Reyes was found with multiple stab wounds to his body.
The arrest. Munoz was arrested three days later by Ventura Police Department officers. He was wearing the same shoes he had been wearing during the stabbing. Those shoes had blood stains, which were tested and confirmed to contain the victim's DNA.
The plea. Munoz admitted several special allegations and factors in aggravation, including the use of a deadly weapon, the crime involving great violence, and that he was on parole at the time he committed the murder.
Prosecutors. Senior Deputy District Attorney David Russell and Deputy District Attorney Kalin Woodward, members of the Ventura County District Attorney's Major Crimes and General Trials Units, prosecuted the case.
Victim's family. 'After four years, I hope the defendant's decision to accept responsibility for Marcos' murder will finally allow the victim's family to begin moving forward,' Woodward said. 'This guilty plea can provide them with some sense of closure and allow them to continue the process of healing from their loss.'
Sentencing. Munoz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 2, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He is expected to be sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison.
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