| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
CONTACT: |
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September 20,
2007 |
Deputy Josh Butout, Public
Information Officer
(602) 382-8775 |
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U.S. Marshals
Capture America’s Most Wanted Fugitive |
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Flagstaff, AZ – The U.S. Marshals
Fugitive Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Fugitive
Operations Team arrested Juan Carlos Ramirez in Flagstaff early this
morning. Ramirez was wanted for the brutal stabbing death of his
girlfriend in North Carolina. He faces a 1st Degree Murder and two
Attempted Murder charges in Greensboro.
On Christmas Day 2006, Ramirez is believed to have stabbed his
girlfriend and mother of their son, April Caldwell, seventeen times
with a knife and then tried to stab her two roommates as they
attempted to intervene. April had broken up with Ramirez weeks
before, but the arrangement apparently wasn't working for Ramirez.
After April left her parent's house, police say Ramirez followed her
to an apartment she shared with two men. Ramirez asked April's two
roommates to leave so he could talk to April alone. The men and
April agreed, but only for a few minutes. The men say by the time
they came back, a horrible scene was unfolding. The men say Ramirez
was stabbing April several times, and the enraged killer turned on
them as they tried to help. Everyone ran outside the apartment, the
men away from Ramirez, Ramirez after the men, and April staggering
to the ground.
On July 28, 2007, America’s Most Wanted (AMW) featured Ramirez on
their program and within a week of AMW airing April's story, police
were closing in on Ramirez. Cops got a tip that Ramirez was in Union
City, New Jersey, just over the bridge from Manhattan. An AMW
producer went along with Greensboro Police detectives and members of
the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force as they hunted
for Ramirez. They found his hide-out, but missed him by just a few
days.
The investigation continued another couple months, leading
investigators to Flagstaff. It was discovered that Ramirez had
assumed a new identity: as Miguel Sosa. Under this name, Ramirez was
working and living his life in hiding. He was residing in a town
home on the 6300 block of N. St. Nicholas Circle with several other
Hispanic males. Surveillance confirmed that Ramirez was in fact
living there, leading U.S. Marshal and ICE task force members to
raid the home early this morning. Ramirez and five illegal aliens
were arrested during the raid.
“This case was made one of our highest priorities because of the
violent nature of the crime alleged to be committed by Mr. Ramirez,”
said Case Deputy U.S. Marshal Bill Noble.
“The Greensboro Police Department asked the U.S. Marshals Service to
assist them in tracking this fugitive because of our ability to
pursue investigative leads throughout the country in a matter of
minutes”, added U.S. Marshal David Gonzales. “Violent fugitives such
as Mr. Ramirez are given the highest priority by the Marshals
Service because of the potential to harm other innocent citizens
while they remain at large.”
The HIDTA Task Force agencies include: United States Marshals
Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mesa
Police Department, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Maricopa
County Probation Office, Phoenix Police Department, Chandler Police
Department, Scottsdale Police Department and the U.S. Postal
Service.
For further information about the U.S. Marshals:
www.usmarshals.gov |
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