PHOENIX, AZ – A Phoenix man is under arrest following an altercation with his stepfather, which culminated in a shooting and a fatal car crash. Jorge Adrian Ramirez, 20, is facing multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, for the incident that took place over the weekend.
Phoenix Police Department officers responded to a call early on Saturday, Feb. 3 near 43rd Avenue and Hadley Street. On reaching the location, they discovered a crashed SUV in the yard of a house and the driver, 32-year-old Jose Angel Ruiz, suffering gunshot wounds. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Ruiz did not survive.
Police observed seven bullet holes in the windshield of the SUV. Surveillance video footage recovered from the area showed the SUV pulling up at an intersection next to a black sedan. The driver of the sedan, later identified as Ramirez, was seen stepping out of the car and firing several rounds into the SUV’s windshield.
Ramirez’s mother and Ruiz’s wife reportedly called the police hours after detectives released the video, identifying Ramirez as the shooter. Upon his arrest, Ramirez confessed to engaging in a dispute with Ruiz before the shooting. He recounted how he tried to leave the scene in his car following the argument but was repeatedly “brake checked” by Ruiz. He claimed that this led him to stop at the intersection, step out, and fire at Ruiz’s vehicle.
In conversation with the police, Ramirez allegedly confessed to the shooting, citing allegations of domestic violence against Ruiz as his trigger. His mother corroborated these claims to the police. He further admitted that the firearm he used was not his, but belonged to his mother. Ramirez is currently being held on a $1 million secured appearance bond in the Maricopa County jail.