Family of man killed in shooting in Far East El Paso calls verdict ‘unjust’
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – The family of a man killed in a shooting in far east El Paso is calling the verdict against the guilty man “unfair.”
Juan Angel Ramirez, 25 at the time of the murder, was found guilty and sentenced to two and a half years in prison for the murder of 30-year-old Juan Carlos Castro.
The El Paso District Attorney told ABC-7 that the minimum sentence for murder in Texas is 5 years, but the jury found that “sudden passion” was the catalyst for the fatal shooting and reduced the sentence to 2 to 20 years.
DA Hicks reviewed the case with ABC-7 and told us Ramirez assaulted his girlfriend, which Ramirez denied at trial. Hicks said people who were at a nearby party saw this and started attacking Ramirez.
Hicks says Ramirez managed to escape to his girlfriend’s house, but the group followed him. Ramirez is accused of shooting through the door. No one was hurt, but the people fled.
Hicks said when Ramirez left the house, he saw Castro, the father of his girlfriend’s child, who she had previously called for help. Hicks said Ramirez shot Castro four times in the back and struck him with the gun.
Elizabeth Castro, Castro’s older sister, told ABC-7 that her family believes the verdict is “unjust” because Ramirez’s sentence is shorter than the time her brother has been dead.
“He was not part of the crowd. They were already safe. They were at home. They could have stayed there and called the police,” Elizabeth Castro said when asked about the reason for Ramirez’s behavior.
Although they were dissatisfied with the sentence, District Attorney Hicks stated that they were satisfied with the verdict.
“The defense pushed hard for manslaughter and that this was a negligent homicide and not a premeditated murder,” Hicks said.
Elizabeth Castro told ABC-7 that her family will not give up in its efforts to get the justice they believe she deserves.
“I’m not going to stop. I want to appeal. If I need to pursue the case, I will pursue it. If I need to hire a lawyer, I will. But I’m not going to stop there,” Castro said.
