Posted on 04/02/2007 5:28:51 PM PDT by csvset
VIRGINIA BEACH – A man accused of killing two high school students Friday night in a car crash has a substantial record of alcohol-related convictions in both Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Alfredo Ramos, charged with manslaughter in the Friday deaths of Allison Kunhardt, 17, and Tessa Tranchant, 16, was convicted this year of DUI in Chesapeake and of public intoxication at the Beach.
Ramos, who admitted in court Monday that he is in the country illegally, also was convicted in Chesapeake last year of public drunkenness.
Two 2007 Chesapeake convictions – a seat belt violation and identify theft – appear not to be alcohol-related.
Additional Chesapeake charges – driving without a license and having no insurance – were withdrawn earlier this year.
On Monday morning, Ramos, 22, was arraigned on the manslaughter charges in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court .
His 25-year-old brother, who lives in Norfolk, also is here illegally and asked not to be identified because of his immigration status. He said he had talked to his brother by phone Friday before the accident and, after learning he had been drinking, warned Ramos not to drive. Afterward, his brother told him he had no memory of the crash. He learned from authorities that he had killed two people, his brother said.
Ramos, who was born in Mexico of Guatemalan parents, has been in the U.S. for about seven years
Most recently, Ramos was employed as a waiter at Mi Casita, a popular Mexican restaurant on Bonney Road in Virginia Beach.
Police said speed and alcohol were factors in Friday’s accident, which occurred at Kings Grant and Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Police spokesman Jimmy Barnes said a 1998 two-door Mitsubishi, driven by Ramos, was westbound on Virginia Beach Boulevard when it crashed into the rear of a 1994 Plymouth driven by Kunhardt.
The Plymouth was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection, Barnes said.
Kunhardt and Tranchant were pinned in the wreckage and had to be cut free before paramedics could tend to them.
One of the girls died at the scene; the other was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at a hospital, Barnes said. Both had been wearing seat belts, he said.
Ramos also was wearing a seat belt and suffered only minor injuries, Barnes said.
On Monday, friends and family of the two victims were planning a vigil for tonight at Mount Trashmore.
Scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., the candlelight ceremony will be held on the Independence Boulevard side of the park. Classmates, family and friends have been invited to attend.
Janice Lane, a minister and Kunhardt’s aunt, will lead a short service.
Kunhardt was a junior at First Colonial High School. Tranchant, her close friend, was a freshman at Kellam High School.
First Colonial Principal Dale Holt said the school has canceled plans to host the “Every 15 Minutes” program on Wednesday and Thursday. The program raises awareness of drunk driving by removing a student from class every 15 minutes as if they had been killed.
“Our kids are living 'Every 15 Minutes’ as we speak,” Holt said Monday.
At Kellm High School, programs on drunk driving already planned for April and May will go on as scheduled, administrators said.
Ramos is scheduled to appear this morning in front of Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Deborah Rawls for a bond hearing.
Ramos faces deportation if he’s convicted, according to U.S. immigration laws. People who are deported for criminal convictions have either committed felonies or “crimes of moral turpitude,” including crimes such as murder, manslaughter, rape and most theft crimes, U.S. immigration law states.
Staff writers Duane Bourne and Lauren Roth contributed to this report.
Federal , state and local officials that have refused to enforce laws or even to attempt to enforce laws on the books for years need to go to prison..
Innocence lost for a few bucks worth of cheap labor..
Priceless.
A good friend of mine USED to have a drywall business here in SoCal.
This crap really pi—es me off!!!!
My husband grew up in Delaware, went to California, then Arizona, then Texas, and then back to Delaware all the while doing construction work. He came back to Delaware 20 years ago. He's been out of it (working for someone else, that is) 12 years.
I know, I know.........you’re preaching to the choir with me when it comes to the illegals.
“A good friend of mine USED to have a drywall business here in SoCal”
USED to is right. Now all the bidding is done wilh illegal labor, so an honest bid is impossible. Sick!
Do what I do and cut and paste to your senators and congressman.
Sooner or later you’ll quit getting canned email/mail and they may send you a personal letter to get bent.
I hope they do. I left California last year entirely because of the illegal invasion.
I read this morning that a landscape company, with a major State contract, that included the Governor's Mansion and the Capitol building in Delaware was using illegals and state officials are claiming they had no way of knowing and no way of stopping it.
Well, your husband has a 12 year work history, so it looks like he adjusted well to the career change.
Sad that the American public has to put up with this.
An honest guy simply can’t compete with 6-10$ an hour under the table the illegals are getting for this. My buddy would bid job low, and would still be undercut by 25-35%. No way he could stay in business, even working for himself.
At least he was honest enough to walk away.
Mexicans come here to party. Work some, get drunk some, DRIVE DRUNK SOME and PARTY PARTY PARTY PARTY LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!!! LE BON TEMPS ROULE!!!!
LOL!!!!
There is a 2 year iffy spot, he’s only been in his present job for 10 years. We did a lot of contract work during that 2 year interim. But it has come to the point he will only do work for friends who are not in a hurry to get stuff done. And most of that we barter out anyway.
Sounds like the contractor is greasing some palms with the extra $ he’s not paying the illegal workers to do the work.
you are absolutely right my friend... thanks for saying it!! such beautiful girls, what a shame. AWFUL
This illegal should be performing hard labor for life, not bring deported.
Ramos is a real piece of work:
He's not a juvenile. Is it common in Virginia for these types of cases to be handled by the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts?
Ramos faces deportation if he's convicted, according to U.S. immigration laws.
Even if he is not convicted he can legally be deported.
Any employer can check anyone out in 30 minutes. That is the biggest crock yet : )
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