S.F. trial into notorious triple-killing begins
A San Francisco jury hearing the case of a man accused of the drive-by slayings of a man and two of his sons was warned Monday to prepare for a complex journey - a trip into a gang world of colors and respect, of men named Coyote and Sparky, of paid informants and protected witnesses.
But attorneys who gave opening statements in the murder trial of Edwin Ramos, 25, agreed that there was one basic issue: Did Ramos fire the fatal shots in 2008, or did a friend surprise him by pulling the trigger from the passenger seat of Ramos' car?
Assistant District Attorney Harry Dorfman said the question would be answered by the only person who lived through the Excelsior District shooting - a 21-year-old man who, after ducking down in a Honda Civic, discovered that his father and two brothers had been fatally wounded.
"Four people were supposed to die," Dorfman said, adding that the surviving son had quickly identified Ramos as the shooter, picking him from a photo lineup, and was now prepared to testify as the star witness. Prosecutors have asked the media not to name him because he is under witness protection.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/23/MNMH1MTFOU.DTL
Ramos illegally entered the US as a teenager and was convicted of two violent crimes while living in SF. However, local law enforcement never notified the federal government. Three months before this shooting, Ramos was arrested after a traffic stop found a murder weapon in his car. Although the sheriff notified ICE, ICE declined to place an immigration hold on Ramos.
(Note to moderators regarding national interest: Fox News...yes I know Fox News...covered this case frequently. The widow of one of the victims gave a tearful interview to Megyn Kelly, for example. In addition, members of the Minuteman Project protested at SF city hall after Ramos's arrest. Danielle Bologna unsuccessfully sued San Francisco for failing to protect her family against Ramos.)
