Killer jailed despite suspended sentence

Immigration agency places hold on Springdale man convicted of shooting 3

Hector Saul Ramos
Hector Saul Ramos

FAYETTEVILLE -- A Springdale man convicted last week of fatally shooting one person and wounding two others learned after his trial he wasn't going home.

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Hector Ramos, 19, remains in custody at the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center under a federal immigration hold filed by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ramos has been in the juvenile lockup for more than a year.

He was convicted last Tuesday of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and two counts of first-degree battery, both felonies. He was sentenced to a suspended jail term and probation and was expected to be released Wednesday afternoon.

Ramos has a misdemeanor marijuana charge pending and is expected to be in court on that charge today. Prosecutors said police found marijuana in Ramos' home while serving a search warrant as part of the shooting investigation.

Bryan Cox, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in New Orleans, confirmed Monday the agency has a hold on Ramos, but wouldn't discuss specifics. Cox said a hold typically lets local law enforcement know it has a person the agency is interested in because of immigration status and asks to be contacted before releasing the subject.

"If he was convicted of a felony, that in and of itself falls into the highest category we have for individuals who are subject to removal," Cox said.

Matt Durrett, Washington County prosecutor, said Monday he wasn't privy to the hold, but that isn't unusual.

"It's not something that they call and tell us about or even mention to us," Durrett said. "Technically, they're two separate issues, two separate proceedings."

He said immigration status isn't something his office typically checks.

"I've got really no reason to go in there and check," Durrett said.

He said he doesn't know if Ramos' felony convictions triggered the action against him or if Ramos came to the attention of immigration authorities for some other reason.

"At least in the past, it would be triggered on the conviction of a felony of certain types. Crimes of moral turpitude," Durrett said.

Ramos was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Fabian Rodriguez and two counts of first-degree battery for the shootings of Savanna Smith, 22, and Juan Araujo, 15, early March 13, 2015.

After three hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty on both first-degree battery counts. It also found him guilty of the lesser charge of negligent homicide.

After sentencing Wednesday, Ramos' attorney, Justin Hurst, said Ramos was looking forward to getting back to his family in Springdale and resuming a normal life. Hurst was anticipating that Ramos would be released later that day.

Durrett charged Ramos, 17 at the time of the crime, as an adult. Rodriguez and Araujo went to Ramos' home with a machete and a 4-foot iron pipe. They threatened him and yelled at him to come outside. Ramos shot through his bedroom window, fatally striking Rodriguez. He wounded Araujo as he fled and Smith as she sat in a car.

Metro on 05/10/2016

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