Natalia Ramirez | Homicide Watch Chicago

Natalia Ramirez was 'bubbly and full of life,' a great friend and hard worker whose children 'were her world'

Elizabeth Czapski — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:06:11 -0500

By ELIZABETH CZAPSKI
Homicide Watch Chicago

When Jessica Sanchez got the call that her two brothers and her close friend, Natalia Ramirez, had been shot, she “instantly broke down.”

Natalia Ramirez/Facebook

“All I kept thinking was, 'Just please let them all survive,'” Sanchez said.

Sanchez’s brothers survived the shooting. Ramirez, a 27-year-old mother of two boys, did not.

The shooting occurred in the early hours of Jan. 22 in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

About 3:15 a.m., the three victims were inside a vehicle parked in the 3800 block of South St. Louis. Another car pulled up, and a gunman got out and fired at least 16 shots into the vehicle before driving away, according to Chicago Police.

Ramirez was shot in the head, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died at 4:02 a.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Natalia Ramirez with her sons Julius and Alexander/GoFundMe

A 22-year-old man who was shot in the back was also taken to Mount Sinai, police said. And a 28-year-old man was shot in the hip, and was taken to Stroger Hospital. Both of their conditions were stabilized.

Ramirez was dating Sanchez’s younger brother, and the pair went to Sanchez’s older brother’s house the night of the shooting for “just more drinks, [and] to sit down and play cards,” after going out for a friend’s birthday, Sanchez said. “I guess it happened as they were walking into the house.”

“It was...a triple-whammy for me,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez added that Ramirez had no gang ties, and, as far as she knows, the shooting was random.

Ramirez and Sanchez, 25, met through a mutual friend when Sanchez was 13 and had been friends ever since. Sanchez called her “Sissy” because of their close relationship.

“She was more like a sister after she started dating my brother, because she was always at my house,” Sanchez said.

Other nicknames Ramirez had included “Natdizzle” and “Litty.”

Natalia Ramirez with her sons/Facebook

“She was always so bubbly and full of life,” Sanchez said. “Of course she had her bad days, but she never really showed it. She always kept her head on straight. She’d make you laugh if you were having the worst day ever.”

Justin Lewis, a friend and former neighbor of Ramirez, said she “was always smiling."

“If she was upset about something, she found a way to smile about it at the same time,” he said. “She was a very, very nice person. She cared about everybody a lot, and she always made sure that she was there to help if you need it.”

More than anything, Sanchez said, Ramirez devoted herself to her sons, Julius and Alexander.

“Her kids were her life,” she said. “She did everything for them, no matter what it was.”

Lewis said her kids were all Ramirez talked about, "whether it was doing stuff with them, how proud she was of them, how proud she was to be their mother ... they were her world.”

Natalia Ramirez | Facebook

Sanchez said Ramirez worked hard to support her children. “Straight from work she’d pick them up, take them to the park, take them to get ice cream—she spoiled them boys. No matter what they wanted, they always got everything they wanted.”

Ramirez was an employee of the UIC College of Dentistry, a school spokesman confirmed. She had worked in the Central Sterilization area of the school since May 2016, according to Dr. Susan Rowan, associate dean of clinical affairs.

“Natalia was a dedicated member of the college, serving students, faculty and colleagues. Natalia had a great impact on the college community, and we are greatly saddened by her passing. Natalia’s smiling face and friendly ways will be missed by all,” Rowan said.

A GoFundMe page was created to support Ramirez, and the funds will help Julio Martinez, the father of her sons. The page has raised more than $9,000—with an original goal of $1,000—as of Feb. 27.

“Natalia Ramirez is a mother of two young boys, she is a hard working, joyous woman who endears herself to everyone she encounters, and who has become an integral part of the UIC College of Dentistry,” the GoFundMe page says.

“It is rare for us that work with her to ever see her without an ear-to-ear smile on her face. She will live on in the hearts of her two young children, her family, her friends, and all of us at the UIC College of Dentistry.”

“She was loved by everybody,” Sanchez said.

WEEK IN REVIEW: At least 19 more people killed in Chicago as new year shows no sign of violence ending

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:00:10 -0600

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Two teenage boys were among at least 19 people who died last week as a result of violence in Chicago last week, as the epidemic of gunfire continued to take its toll.

While 2016 saw the most murders in Chicago in more than two decades, 2017 is starting off on an even bloodier pace. The death toll is already at 43 and more than 230 people have been shot in just over three weeks. Last year there were a total of 50 murders for the entire month.

Two of last week's victims were boys, both killed by gunfire in the South Side Englewood neighborhood.

Diabolique Anderson, 16, died Friday, two days after officers found him about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday on a sidewalk in the 6800 block of South Green, according to CHicago POlice and Cook County medical examiner's office. He had suffered gunshot wounds to the head and thigh. Witnesses saw four male suspects take off in a black SUV after the shooting. Anderson was pronounced dead at 2:28 p.m. Friday at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

One day earlier, 15-year-old Bruce Marshawn Owens was shot to death Thursday night. Shortly before 9 p.m., someone walked up to him in the 6900 block of South Stewart, shot him repeatedly in the chest and abdomen, and then took off in a dark-colored vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Owens was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he died at 11:39 p.m.

A 19-year-old man died Sunday, more than six months after he was shot while allegedly robbing a man in the Portage Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. About 11:40 p.m. June 30, 2016, a 28-year-old man was in his vehicle in the 4000 block of North Laporte when he was approached by a man with a gun who tried to rob him, according to police.

A struggle ensued and the gun went off, striking 19-year-old Anthony Hollins in the neck, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Hollins was initially taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, police said. He died at 9:36 p.m. Sunday at RML Specialty Hospital in Hinsdale, and an autopsy Monday found he died of complications of a gunshot wound to the neck. The 28-year-old man who shot him was not charged with a crime, police said.
The week's final homicide was a man stabbed early Sunday in the South Chicago neighborhood. At 4:04 a.m., Reginald Boston, 26, was in a gangway in the 3200 block of East 91st Street when he was approached by someone he knew who pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the abdomen, police and the medical examiner’s office said. Boston showed up at Trinity Hospital, and was transferred to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m.
On Tuesday, a south suburban man was ordered held on a $500,000 bond, charged with killing Brown, who was the cousin of the suspect's ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend. Dalashawn Brown, 30, was outside the building of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, as were Boston and his cousin, prosecutors said in court. At some point, Brown pulled a knife and stabbed Boston, who was later identified by Boston's cousin and other witnesses.
A mother of two who worked at the UIC School of Dentistry was killed and two men wounded in a shooting early Sunday in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. About 3:15 a.m., they were inside a vehicle parked in the 3800 block of South St. Louis when another car pulled up, and a gunman got out to fire at least 16 shots before driving away, according to police. Natalia Ramirez, 27, was shot in the head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died. A 22-year-old man who was shot in the back was also taken to Mount Sinai, police said. A 28-year-old man was shot in the hip and was taken to Stroger Hospital. Both of their conditions had stabilized.
A man was shot to death Saturday evening in the Fernwood neighborhood on the Far South Side. At 4:53 p.m., 21-year-old Tremayne Henderson was in the first block of West 104th Place when someone walked up and fired shots, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Henderson was shot in the chest and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 9:16 p.m., authorities said. He lived on the same block as the shooting.
A man was shot to death late Saturday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The 23-year-old was sitting in a parked vehicle about 11:15 p.m. in the first block of North Sacramento when someone in another vehicle fired shots, according to police. The man was shot in the left thigh and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity had not been released as of THursday, pending notification of family.
A 24-year-old man was shot to death Saturday afternoon in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. Jacob Norwood was sitting in a vehicle at 1:42 p.m. in the 2600 block of West Monroe when someone walked up to the vehicle and shot him in the neck, according to police and the medical examiner's office. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A man was killed and two more wounded in a Humboldt Park neighborhood shooting early Saturday. About 3:15 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired found two men lying in the street with gunshot wounds to the head in the 3900 block of West Thomas, police said. Armani Pickett, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. A 36-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. Another man, 42, showed up at Norwegian American Hospital with an arm wound, police said. He was in good condition.
An off-duty Robbins police officer shot and killed a man on the Far South Side, claiming the man tried to rob him early Friday morning, according to police. “An out-of-jurisdiction officer was in Chicago and was involved in some kind of altercation,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. The shooting occurred about 6:50 a.m. in the 12300 block of South Wallace. Joshua D. Jones, 20, of the 12200 block of South Lowe, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. An autopsy Saturday determined Jones died of a gunshot wound to the back.
A 28-year-old man was shot to death inside his Gresham neighborhood home Thursday night on the South Side. Another person who lives in the home in the 8000 block of South Bishop had left at 6:30 a.m. and returned about 10 p.m. to find Chase Taylor dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the living room, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene. Area South detectives were conducting a homicide investigation.
A man was shot to death Thursday morning in Englewood. Marvin Johnson, 37, walked outside in the 7000 block of South Carpenter at 9:11 a.m. and was approached by two suspects who shot him multiple times, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Johnson, who lived on the same block, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
A man was fatally shot Wednesday morning in the West Side Austin neighborhood. Quentin Perkins, 34, was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the 4700 block of West Flournoy about 9:20 a.m. when someone walked up and fired several shots into his vehicle, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was shot in the abdomen and arm, and tried to drive away, but crashed farther down the block, police said. Perkins was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Another man was shot to death late Tuesday in Austin. Juwan Kemp, 26, was driving north at 11:27 p.m. in the 100 block of North Central when someone in a black SUV opened fire, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Kemp was shot in the head and body, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 25-year-old man died about 12 hours after he was shot Tuesday night in the South Side Hyde Park neighborhood. Robert Jones was talking to three other people on a sidewalk about 9 p.m. Tuesday in the 5100 block of South Blackstone when one of them pulled a gun and shot him multiple times in the head and shoulders, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Jones was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he died at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Sylvester “Sly” Gardner was killed and two other people wounded in a shooting Tuesday night inside a Subway restaurant in the South Side Chatham neighborhood. It happened about 8:30 p.m. in the first block of West 79th Street when a gunman walked in, opened fire and then ran out, according to police. Gardner, 28, was shot multiple times, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man, 21, was shot in the arm and leg, and was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital. A 17-year-old girl was shot in the head and back, police said. Her condition was stabilized.
An 18-year-old man injured in a shooting in the South Austin neighborhood on Saturday, Jan. 14, died two days later. A dark-colored car pulled up to Christopher Johnson Jr. about 5 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of South Central Avenue, and someone inside shot him twice in the abdomen, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Johnson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 1:35 p.m. Monday, authorities said.
A 24-year-old man was fatally shot Monday morning in the South Austin neighborhood. About 11:30 a.m., Allante Elmore was on the porch of a home in the 4800 block of West Hubbard when a vehicle pulled up and someone inside fired shots, hitting him multiple times, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. Elmore was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died an hour later. He lived on the block where he was killed.
A 36-year-old north suburban man was shot to death earlier Monday in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. Marlon Pollard was standing outside about 1:10 a.m. in the 2200 block of West Chicago Avenue when someone in a black SUV nearby opened fire, striking him in the abdomen, face and left leg, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. The Evanston resident was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died about an hour later, authorities said.

Mother of two Natalia Ramirez fatally shot, two men wounded while sitting in vehicle in Brighton Park

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:45:44 -0600

Natalia Ramirez, 27-year-old mother of two, was killed and two men were wounded in a shooting early Sunday in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

Natalia Ramirez and her sons, Julius and Alexander | Facebook

Ramirez was shot in the head, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died at 4:02 a.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. She lived in the 3000 block of South Princeton.

Ramirez was an employee of the UIC College of Dentistry, a school spokesman confirmed.

She had worked in the Central Sterilization area school since May 2016, according to Dr. Susan Rowan, associate dean of clinical affairs.

"Natalia was a dedicated member of the college, serving students, faculty and colleagues. Natalia had a great impact on the College community, and we are greatly saddened by her passing. Natalia’s smiling face and friendly ways will be missed by all," Rowan said.

A GoFundMe page set up after the shooting with a goal of $1,000 had already raised nearly $5,600 as of Sunday.

Ramirez "is a mother of two young boys, she is a hard working, joyous woman who endears herself to everyone she encounters, and who has become an integral part of the UIC College of Dentistry," the GoFundMe page says.

"It is rare for us that work with her to ever see her without an ear-to-ear smile on her face. She will live on in the hearts of her two young children, her family, her friends, and all of us at the UIC College of Dentistry."

--Homicide Watch Chicago and Chicago Sun-Times Wire