A 41-year-old Centralia resident has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm after shooting and killing a dog that had been deemed dangerous by authorities, according to Lewis County Superior Court documents.
Jose Doroteo Ramirez Ruiz appeared in court out of custody on Wednesday, June 10, after responding to a summons. He faces a single count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Judge J. Andrew Toynbee set bail at $5,000 unsecured, meaning Ramirez Ruiz will not be booked into jail if he follows the conditions of his release.
On April 17, Centralia police responded to a dispute in the 1500 block of Logan Street. There, they met Ramirez Ruiz, who said an aggressive dog had to be “put down.”
“He said the dog was shot approximately five times,” prosecutors stated in the affidavit of probable cause. “Jose said he had a friend who shot the dog as he was not emotionally attached to it. Jose's girlfriend … spoke with Sgt. Finch. She said that she had brought her dog to Jose for him to put it down after she was served with a Dangerous Dog Notification because it had previously nipped a 5-year-old child. Heather said she provided Jose with a .22 caliber rifle and Jose made arrangements to have someone shoot and kill the dog. Heather said she then left the residence and was not present when the dog was shot.”
The person who reported the incident said they heard the sound of about 15 gunshots and a dog yelping. The caller was unable to provide a description of the shooter.
Through the investigation, it was learned that Ramirez Ruiz had placed the rifle used to shoot the dog in his bedroom. While his girlfriend had a concealed pistol license, Ramirez Ruiz is a Mexican national without U.S. citizenship and appeared to be an “alien in possession of a firearm,” court documents state.
The officers retrieved the two firearms, “a Ruger 10/22 rifle and a Stevens Model 320 shotgun,” according to court documents.
Ramirez Ruiz was convicted of violation of a protection order in Centralia Municipal Court in 2019 and was provided notice of his ineligibility to possess firearms. He has prior convictions for DUI, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and other charges. He has a DUI case pending.
His arraignment is set for June 18.
