Man Charged with Federal Gun Crime in Connection with Death of Child

SAN ANTONIO – Yesterday, Joshua Christopher Ramirez, 32, of San Antonio was arrested in San Antonio on criminal charges related to allegations that a gun he possessed was used to kill a two-year-old child.

According to court documents, on February 18, 2022, San Antonio police officers responded to a 911 call regarding the shooting of a two-year-old female.  Officers found the child with a single gunshot to the head.  The child was transported to the hospital where she eventually died.  During the investigation, it was reported the child had shot herself with a gun owned by Ramirez who was the boyfriend of the victim’s mother.  During a search of Ramirez’ residence, a duffel bag was found that contained a Glock Model 35, .40 caliber handgun.  Ramirez had a previous felony conviction and cannot legally possess a firearm.

Ramirez is charged by a federal criminal complaint with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. If convicted, Ramirez faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski, Houston Division, made the announcement.

The ATF is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Nowinski is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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