RIVERVIEW, Fla. – The man who shot and killed a father of five after a road rage incident in Riverview will be detained until his trial, a judge decided. Jorge Ramirez is still a threat to the community, the State Attorney’s Office successfully argued, and he shouldn’t be released on bond.
The victim’s fiancé testified at a pretrial detention hearing Tuesday that Ramirez was ramming the back of their family’s green Chevy Suburban before stopping in a residential area and starting to fire.
At first, Ramirez got upset because he was unable to get past the Suburban in order to avoid having to wait at a red light, according to Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.
Related: 20-Year-Old Man Arrested For Murder In Riverview Road-Rage Shooting
As Ramirez got out of his black BMW, the lead detective claimed that the victim’s ten-year-old son told his father that Ramirez was carrying a gun. In the family’s Suburban, the young boy then sought cover while protecting his younger brother from gunshots.
In addition, the lead detective stated in court that the defendant warned his passengers to “watch this” before murdering the victim.
The victim’s fiancé took a picture shortly before the shooting, which the prosecutors used to demonstrate how far the defendant’s black BMW sedan was from the family’s Suburban.
Read: Riverview Man Arrested For Brutally Burning, Abusing 8-Month-Old Baby
When Ramirez opened fire, he was behind his BMW and more than twenty feet away from the victim.
“The only way to protect the citizens of Hillsborough County from this defendant is to ensure he remains behind bars until trial. The victim’s fiancé should be commended for her bravery, taking the stand today to recount the worst day of her life. We will continue to work diligently to make sure this defendant is held accountable for his actions,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Ramirez is charged with second-degree murder and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
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