Jose Ledesmathe mastermind behind the 2019 murder of Cuban dentist Carmen Ramírez, finally appeared in Miami-Dade criminal court on Wednesday for that crime, more than four and a half years after the murder.
November 18, 2019 Carmen Ramirez, 60 years oldwas climbing the stairs to his dental office in Hialeah when a man named Ralph Benjamin He shot him six times before quickly fleeing in a black BMW 5 Series, driven by Héctor Ledesma, José Ledesma’s brother.
The woman lay on the ground until paramedics arrived and gave her first aid. Due to the severity of her injuries, she had to be transported by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she underwent surgery and received a blood transfusion.
The bullets caused injuries to Ramirez’s face, neck, chest and extremities. The woman died on December 19, 2019one month after being hospitalized.
Surveillance cameras that captured the moment of the attack provided crucial evidence for investigators.
Hector Ledesma and Ralph Benjamin were arrested two days after the murder at Miami International Airport, while trying to flee to the Virgin Islands, the country of origin of Benjamin, the perpetrator of the crime.
Police confirmed at a press conference that the arrests were possible. thanks to the images from the security cameras and the rapid response of the research teams.
As the investigation progressed, dark details from José Ledesma’s past emerged.
In 2015, Carmen Ramírez had been the victim of an identity theft in which José Ledesma was involved. The fraud cost Ramirez and his office more than $40,000.
At the time of the murder, Ledesma was facing trial for the crime, with the possibility of a sentence of 3 to 5 years if convicted. Carmen Ramirez was the main witness in that casewhich gave José Ledesma a reason to want to eliminate her.
However, José Ledesma was released on bail in November 2019, shortly after Carmen Ramírez was shot.
Although Hialeah detectives immediately suspected Ledesma had organized the attack from jail, Orlando prosecutors did not revoke his bail and did not return him to prison.
Several weeks after the Hialeah shooting, Ledesma raped a 15-year-old girl who became pregnant.
That new crime landed him back in jail, where he faced three separate criminal trials in the city of Orlando, plus the ongoing murder investigation in Miami-Dade County.
During his appearance on Wednesday, in which He was arraigned on charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was held without bail.
