Chicago prosecutor declines to charge ‘dangerous’ Colombian migrant in shooting death of 17-year-old
17-year-old Stephanie Lopez Ramirez was due to begin schooling in the U.S. before her death
By Matt Finn , Jasmine Baehr Fox News
Published October 8, 2024 9:00pm EDT
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Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office declined to pursue any charges against a “dangerous” Colombian migrant who was arrested for murder last week in Chicago.
Foxx’s decision comes after a CPD source shared with Fox News the migrant’s illegally-acquired gun went off in an apartment building, killing a “beautiful and promising” 17-year-old girl.
A Chicago Police source told Fox News that when 19-year-old Juan David Ramirez-Olivo was arrested for murder last week and questioned by CPD, he lied about being from Venezuela. Ramirez-Olivo is a Colombian national.
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An Immigration and Customs Enforcement source tells Fox News that Ramirez-Olivo previously came into the United States under the parole program and was given a notice to appear.
ICE shared with Fox News it placed a detainer on Ramirez-Olivo last Thursday after he was arrested for first-degree murder and taken into custody on Saturday.
The Chicago Police pushed for Olivo to be charged with involuntary manslaughter; Foxx’s office went to bond court last Friday afternoon and repealed the charges, citing “insufficient evidence” to Fox News.
A CPD source says a police chief assigned to this case was not happy with Foxx’s decision and was pressing for Olivo to be charged.
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“If they want to say that it was a complete accident and it wasn’t reckless then minimally charge him with the weapon that he admitted to illegally purchasing,” the CPD source told Fox News. “No one thinks it’s legal to purchase a gun off a guy on the street. Plus, he shouldn’t even have a weapon.”
Ramirez-Olivo was in an apartment on Tuesday, October 1 with 17-year-old Stephanie Lopez Ramirez when, a CPD source said, his illegally acquired gun went off–hitting Stephanie in the arm and killing her.
Right, Stephanie Lopez Ramirez. (Family Handout)
A family friend of Ramirez shared, “she was a very sweet girl who loved her family very much. Always happy and full of life.”
Chicago Police did confirm that a female victim was found inside a residence unresponsive with one gunshot wound to the left arm. Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene and a person of interest was in custody.
Ramirez-Olivo claimed it was an accidental shooting, but Chicago police sources and a family friend of the victim question that claim.
Juan Ramirez-Olivo, 17. (ICE)
“After a thorough review of information presented to us by police, we concluded that the totality of the evidence was insufficient to meet our burden of proof to file criminal charges,” wrote Kimm Foxx’s office in a statement to Fox News. “As prosecutors, we have both an ethical and legal obligation to make charging decisions based on the law and evidence. We are open to a further review if new or additional information is brought to us.”