MILLVILLE, N.J. (1010 WINS) — A New Jersey grand jury has indicted a man for fatally shooting his wife last year.
Edwin D. Ramos-Rosado, 39, allegedly killed Ramy Garcia, 35, at their North 4th Street home in Millville on Nov. 2, authorities said.
Garcia was discovered in the backyard of the home by police with a gunshot wound to the head.
Witnesses saw the couple struggling over the gun before he shot her, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NJ.com.
The grand jury indicted him Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and second-degree counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Assistant Cumberland County Prosecutor Charles Wettstein said during a November hearing that Garcia was believed to have been trying to flee the home with their children when the shooting unfolded.
Investigators found her passport and clothing sprawled around the house and suitcases left out, the outlet reported.
The prosecutor said that the victim was on the phone with her brother as she fought with Ramos-Rosado that day. Her brother told detectives he heard Ramos-Rosado ask Garcia where his gun was located.
Their argument continued outside and ended with the struggle over the gun.
"The defendant then gained control of the gun, and as the victim turned to get away, he shot her on the left side of the head," Wettstein said.
Ramos-Rosado drove off with their three kids and left them with nearby family, authorities said.
During that November hearing, defense attorney David Branco said that the couple had a "heated argument" that day and that Garcia picked up a "sharp object" and hurled it at Ramos-Rosado. However, it struck one of the kids instead.
Branco reportedly suggested that the case could eventually be resolved as a second-degree passion-provocation manslaughter, despite the murder charge.
Ramos-Rosado was arrested on Nov. 3 while sitting in the backseat of his car in a Wawa parking lot in Bellmawr.
When officers told him to get out of the car, Ramos-Rosado began smoking crack and consuming methadone, Wettstein said.
Officers were forced to smash a window to remove him. The prosecutor said he was carrying $1,200 in cash and his passport in the car, and he had cut his hair and beard since the shooting.
When police asked for his name, Ramos-Rosado repeatedly said his brother’s name.
He remains behind bars pending trial.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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