After more than 20 years, Ventura County police arrested a 55-year-old San Bernardino man in connection to a 1997 fatal shooting of a bank teller in Thousand Oaks.
The suspect, who was identified by police to be Kevin Ray James, was arrested in San Bernardino on March 9.
James was transported and booked into Ventura County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
On April 28, 1997, at approximately 10:15 a.m., two suspects entered the Western Financial Bank, located at 2920 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard according to authorities.
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Police say during the robbery, one of the suspects shot at Monica Leech, who was working as a teller at the bank. Leech died as a result of her injury.
During the course of the initial investigation, detectives were able to identify two possible suspects that were involved in the bank robbery and the murder of Leech.
Detectives investigated this case for decades, but there was not enough evidence at the time to charge anyone and the case eventually became cold.
Ventura County Sheriff’s investigators reopened this case in 2021 and were able to obtain further evidence linking James to the murder of Leech using DNA.
The other assailant has still yet to be identified by authorities.
Anyone with information about this crime that can further assist investigators are encouraged to contact the Cold Case Unit by phone or email at (805) 383-8704 or coldcase@ventura.org.
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will also pay up to a $1,000 reward for information, those with information can call 800-222-8477.
