A mother of eight, Maria Ramos, was brutally murdered in Oakland, California, after confronting teenage drug dealers who had allegedly sold marijuana to her children.
The tragic incident occurred on August 7 when Ramos, 33, was visiting her mother, Blanca Velasco, with her eight children in Oakland. During the visit, two of her children were approached by known drug dealers who reportedly sold them marijuana pipes.
According to KTVU, Ramos and Velasco decided to follow the suspects, who were driving a blue Toyota sedan, to address the issue and demand that they stop coming to her house.
Surveillance footage obtained by the TV station shows the suspects stopping at an intersection. Ramos, who had previously struggled with substance abuse, exited the passenger side of the vehicle and began shooting at the suspects. One of the suspects also got out of the car and fired additional shots.
Velasco was later seen driving away from the scene in her SUV. Reflecting on the harrowing moments, she recounted to NBC Bay Area, “I just saw her taking off and I just heard the bang. And then I pressed on the gas to put my car in front of their car to shield my daughter. I saw my daughter going down, but I thought my daughter was taking cover.”
She further described the scene to the San Francisco Chronicle, saying she saw a teenage boy in the back seat of the Toyota, leaning out the window and pointing a gun at her.
“I left my car there, I ran to her. I was holding her in my arms,” Velasco said. “I just saw all the blood coming out and I started rubbing her and I told her, ‘Breathe. We still need you. You have eight kids that still need you.'”
Despite her efforts, Ramos was pronounced dead at the scene after Oakland police arrived around 2:30 p.m. and found her with at least one gunshot wound.
Officers attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. They later identified the suspects’ vehicle and arrested three individuals: two minors and 19-year-old Isaiah Gomez. Police believe a 16-year-old, who is being held at Alameda County Juvenile Hall, fired the fatal shots, though they are also investigating whether Ramos may have used pepper spray on the suspects before they shot.
Gomez, who was detained and questioned by police, pleaded not guilty during a recent hearing, according to the Chronicle. He has been released with an ankle monitor.
Velasco expressed her anger and frustration to KPIX, questioning, “I’m angry ’cause my daughter’s not coming back home. Why [did] he get to go home?” She also expressed concern about the city’s District Attorney, Pamela Price, who faces a recall election in November over her perceived leniency on crime. Velasco said, “If you were big enough to get a gun and kill somebody, you’re big enough to pay the price.”
Now, Velasco is left to care for her grandchildren and struggles to explain the tragedy to the youngest ones. She shared that the 15, 13, and 11-year-olds “know that mom is gone,” but she has not yet found the courage to tell the younger five children.
Her five-year-old granddaughter, still hoping for her mother’s return, asks, “I heard mommy is dead, but she’s still coming back from the hospital, right grandma?” Velasco responds with a painful, “Yeah,” as she grapples with the challenge of telling her that her mother will not be coming back.
See the video below:
