Fugitive Returned To Worcester Five Years Later

BERLIN – The cooperative efforts of the Maryland State Police (MSP), the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, the County Sheriff’s Office and a private sector bail enforcement company last week resulted in the arrest in Salt Lake City, Utah of a fugitive wanted in Worcester County for several serious offenses including first-degree assault stemming from an incident in 2002.

The Maryland State Police Berlin barrack’s warrant initiative team, with the help of allied local law enforcement agencies and an Ocean City bail agency landed a big fish last week when it located and arrested a fugitive wanted in Worcester County since 2002. In January, the local MSP warrant initiative team began an aggressive search for known wanted felons in the area.

The warrant team achieved great success right off the bat, rounding up 30 individuals wanted on outstanding warrants in Worcester County from the local area and all over the country in the first week of the program. To date, the warrant initiative team has located and served over 100 outstanding warrants, some of which dated back 20 years.

Last week, the MSP warrant initiative team, working with the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, and ABBA Bail Enforcement, located and apprehended a fugitive wanted for a stabbing incident at a residence on Racetrack Rd. dating back to December 2002.

Ruben Ramirez, now 27, of Berlin, was found in Salt Lake City, Utah and returned to Worcester County to face charges of first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and deadly weapon with intent to injure.

Ramirez had been on the move for over five years, living at times in different states around the country while trying to elude law enforcement and bail enforcement agents. Last week, the MSP, using its own aircraft, flew Trooper-First Class David Grinnin of the Berlin barrack to Salt Lake City to retrieve Ramirez and bring him back to Worcester County to face the serious charges against him.

Most of the charges against Ramirez stem from a Dec. 12, 2002 incident when he allegedly pulled a knife on a man who was trying to break up a physical dispute between Ramirez and his sister at a residence on Racetrack Rd. Around 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2002, Maryland State Police troopers responded to the residence near Ocean Pines for a reported assault in progress.

The investigation revealed the fight started when Ramirez thought his sister and her husband were having an argument in another room in the house. Ramirez’s sister, Luz Ramirez, tried to prevent her brother from coming into the room when he struck her with an open hand, causing bleeding and swelling to her nose. Another member of the household, identified as Fernando Gonzalez, heard the commotion and came to the room to break up the fight.

When the fighting and arguing settled down, Gonzalez turned to go back to his room, but he was stopped by Ramirez, who pulled out a seven-inch dagger and attempted to stab Gonzalez. Luz Ramirez was able to get the knife away from her brother and hid it until the police arrived. Ramirez was arrested and charged with felony and misdemeanor assault, reckless endangerment and wearing and carrying a concealed deadly weapon with the purpose of causing injury.

Last week, after over five years on the lam, Ramirez was located in Salt Lake City and returned to Worcester County to face the charges, plus other charges from an incident earlier in December 2002. He is being held on $60,000 in bonds combined for the various charges.