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Jermaine Houston (Courtesy: Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
PHOENIX – A man who was found guilty of shooting and killing his girlfriend years ago has been sentenced in court.
What we know:
According to a statement from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, 40-year-old Jermaine Houston has been given a life sentence for the murder.Â
While MCAO’s statement did not identify the victim, we have previously identified her as Racal Ramos.
The backstory:
Per the statement from MCAO, the murder happened in August 2022 at an apartment near 27th Avenue and Glendale.
“As officers arrived, they witnessed Houston retreat into the residence and then heard multiple gunshots fired from inside the apartment,” read a portion of MCAO’s statement.
Dig deeper:
“Investigators later learned that a friend had come to the apartment that evening to support the victim and help her pack her belongings so she could leave,” officials with MCAO wrote. “During this time, Houston had pointed a gun at the victim in front of the friend, who intervened and convinced him to put the weapon away. While the friend was on the patio attempting to calm Houston, police arrived at the complex. Upon seeing them, Houston went back inside and shot the victim as she was packing and speaking with a domestic violence shelter to find a safe place to stay.”
The victim, per the statement, was taken to the hospital, where she later died.