FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County prosecutors closed the books Wednesday on a case involving the robbery and fatal stabbing of a Springdale man at a Fayetteville motel in 2014.
Gustavo Ortiz, 33, of Springdale was found Sept. 6, 2014, with a knife wound to his neck at the Econo Lodge. Ortiz died later that day.
Plea bargain
In criminal case, a negotiation between the defendant and his attorney on one side and the prosecutor on the other, in which the defendant agrees to plead “guilty” or “no contest” to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the charges, dismissal of some of the charges, the prosecutor’s willingness to recommend a particular sentence, or some other benefit to the defendant. Sometimes one element of the bargain is that the defendant reveal information such as location of stolen goods, names of others participating in the crime, or admission of other crimes. The judge must agree to the result of the plea bargain before accepting the sentence.
Source: thefreedictionary.c…
Steven Cody Scott, 25, of Springdale pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain in Washington County Circuit Court to accomplice to aggravated robbery and an unrelated charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. Scott was the last of three men charged in the case to plead guilty.
Scott was sentenced by Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay to 15 years with eight suspended on the robbery charge and to three years on the paraphernalia charge. The sentences will run concurrently.
Scott initially was charged with accomplice to capital murder, aggravated robbery and theft of property. Meika Hatcher, deputy prosecutor, said the amended charge better reflected Scott's role in the crime and Scott had been helpful and cooperative with police during their investigation.
"It's unfortunate the use of methamphetamine often results in violence and, in this case, the death of someone whose family loved and cared about him very much," Hatcher said.
Scott apologized to members of Ortiz' family who were in the courtroom, adding there was nothing he could say that would bring Ortiz back. Scott said he wanted the family to know what happened.
Erick Picker-Ramirez, 35, of Fayetteville pleaded guilty in March to accomplice to first-degree murder and accomplice to aggravated robbery, felony failure to appear, fleeing and misdemeanor reckless driving charges. The murder and robbery charges stemmed from the death of Ortiz.
Picker-Ramirez was sentenced to 28 years for the robbery charge, 20 years for the murder charge and 10 years for failure to appear. He was also sentenced to six years for fleeing and 120 days in jail for reckless driving, which both occurred in Madison County and were unrelated to the stabbing.
As part of Picker-Ramirez's plea deal, his initial accomplice to capital murder charge was downgraded to first-degree murder, and an aggravated assault charge was dropped.
Picker-Ramirez isn't a U.S. citizen, so he may be deported upon release from state prison.
Cory Lee Ryan of Farmington, pleaded guilty in February to first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in the case and was sentenced to 35 years. Ryan, 24, was initially charged with capital murder, aggravated robbery and theft of property.
Ryan, Scott and Picker-Ramirez met Ortiz at the motel to buy drugs Sept. 6, 2014, according to arrest reports. A fight broke out, and police said Picker-Ramirez told them Scott pulled a knife on Ortiz. Ryan told police he grabbed the knife and stabbed Ortiz because he feared for his life. Ryan told police Ortiz collapsed and Picker-Ramirez and Scott went through his pockets and took his car keys and money, according to the reports. The men fled in Ortiz' car.
Last year, Picker-Ramirez was one of four men convicted in federal court of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of stolen mail in a scheme that netted them about $24,000 in stolen checks. The scheme was discovered in July 2014, before the stabbing. Picker-Ramirez was sentenced to 18 months in prison last July while he was in jail for the Ortiz case.
Hatcher commended Fayetteville police officers who rushed from their assigned duties working traffic for a Razorback football game that day to render first aid to Ortiz in an attempt to save his life and to detectives who quickly developed suspects and made arrests.
NW News on 04/21/2016