Phoenix Woman Charged With Murder for Lending Car to Suspected Shooters in 2009 Slaying

A Phoenix woman is behind bars after she was arrested yesterday in connection with the shooting death of Michael Medina, a Phoenix resident shot in his yard during a burglary last year. According to court documents obtained by New Times, 30-year-old Stephanie Ramirez didn't pull the trigger in the shooting...
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A Phoenix woman is behind bars after she was arrested yesterday in connection with the shooting death of Michael Medina, a Phoenix resident shot in his yard during a burglary last year.

According to court documents obtained by New Times, 30-year-old Stephanie Ramirez didn’t pull the trigger in the shooting — nor was she at the scene of the murder — but she did lend her car, a Chevy Impala, to the men who police say did.

On the night of July 24, 2009, police say Ramirez lent her car to her then-boyfriend (now-husband), Lorenzo Castro, and her brother, Anthony Ramirez, so they could drive to Medina’s house, which the two planned to burglarize.

Medina was home about 11:45 p.m. when the two men broke in to his house at 1621 South 28th Drive.

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The two men then shot Medina several times — killing him — as he ran from the home to his yard.

Police investigated the case for 11 months until Tuesday, when detectives finally gathered enough evidence to get a warrant to arrest the Ramirez’s and Castro.

On Wednesday, police arrested Stephanie Ramirez and Castro outside of their 59th Avenue apartment. Anthony Ramirez was taken into custody this morning.   

Stephanie Ramirez faces a second-degree murder charge and two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. Castro and Anthony Ramirez are looking at a first-degree, pre-meditated murder charge, one count of burglary, and two counts of aggravated assault.

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