LOS ANGELES, CA – An Oak Park man pleaded guilty to two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with a high-speed Newbury Park crash that killed an elderly couple, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Neil Liam Reb, 22, pleaded guilty Aug. 28, 2026, to two counts of felony gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with the deaths of Alejandro Ramirez, 77, and Maria Ramirez, 73. He also admitted a special allegation that the crime was a serious felony.
The case stems from a May 6, 2025, collision at the intersection of Via Las Brisas and Calle Del Prado in Newbury Park. Investigators said Reb was driving a 2024 Jeep Wrangler at nearly twice the posted speed limit of 45 mph when the vehicle collided with a Volkswagen Tiguan carrying the Ramirezes.
Both Alejandro and Maria Ramirez died as a result of the crash.
Fatal Newbury Park collision
The crash happened at approximately 4 p.m. on May 6, 2025, as Reb was driving through Newbury Park.
According to prosecutors, Reb was traveling at nearly twice the posted 45-mph speed limit before the Jeep collided with the Volkswagen Tiguan at Via Las Brisas and Calle Del Prado. The couple inside the Volkswagen suffered fatal injuries.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said investigators determined that Reb was driving recklessly at the time of the collision.
The earlier charging announcement from the District Attorney’s Office identified the charges as two counts under California Penal Code Section 192(c)(1), involving vehicular manslaughter without alcohol and with gross negligence. It also identified the serious-felony allegation under Penal Code Section 1192.8(a).
The investigation was conducted by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and Reb was arrested June 30, 2025. He later remained out of custody after posting $50,000 bail.
Guilty plea follows yearlong criminal case
The guilty plea brings a major development in a case that began with the fatal collision in May 2025.
Reb was initially charged after the Sheriff’s Office investigation into the deaths of the Newbury Park couple. The District Attorney’s Office said the prosecution ultimately involved two felony counts of gross vehicular manslaughter.
On Aug. 28, 2026, Reb entered his guilty pleas and also admitted the special allegation that the offense constituted a serious felony.
The plea means the case no longer centers on whether Reb committed the charged offenses. The remaining major step is sentencing, where the court will determine the punishment following the guilty plea.
Ventura County Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Blake Heller said the victims’ deaths resulted from what prosecutors described as a reckless decision to drive at an extremely dangerous speed.
“Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez lost their lives because of a reckless decision to drive at an extremely dangerous speed, and their family will have to live with that loss forever,” Heller said. “This guilty plea holds Mr. Reb accountable for his actions and the tragic consequences they caused.”
Sentencing scheduled for October
Reb is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9, 2026, at 9 a.m. in Courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court, according to prosecutors.
He remains out of custody on $50,000 bail pending the sentencing hearing.
The Superior Court of California, County of Ventura provides public information and services related to criminal proceedings in the county, including information for criminal and traffic cases.
The court date will mark the next stage of the case after Reb’s guilty plea. The final sentence will be imposed by the court rather than by prosecutors.
What the case establishes
The prosecution’s account centers on speed and driving behavior immediately before the collision. Investigators said Reb was traveling at nearly twice the 45-mph speed limit when the Jeep struck the Volkswagen at the Newbury Park intersection.
The case also establishes that the two people killed were Alejandro Ramirez and Maria Ramirez, an elderly couple who were traveling in the Volkswagen at the time of the crash.
For the Ramirez family, the guilty plea brings a resolution to the criminal liability portion of the case while leaving sentencing still to be decided. Reb’s next scheduled court appearance is Oct. 9, when the Ventura County Superior Court is expected to impose his sentence.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office lists the case as 2025016279 and identifies the convictions as two counts of Penal Code Section 192(c)(1), with the serious-felony allegation under Section 1192.8(a).
