A Toledo woman has been charged with attempted murder and is accused of intentionally running over a pedestrian with her vehicle in Lewis County shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
Bail is set at $750,000.
Angelina Esperanza Ramirez, 24, was allegedly driving a silver SUV when a passenger in her vehicle got into a verbal dispute with a woman walking her dog near the intersection of Nikula and Winters roads in Lewis County, according to court documents.
The victim reported that she and the passenger of the vehicle “have bad history,” and Ramirez reported that she and the passenger had been in the area looking for the victim’s boyfriend, according to court documents.
At the end of the verbal dispute, which Ramirez said involved the victim threatening to throw a rock at the vehicle and the passenger telling Ramirez to “just hit her,” the victim reported that the vehicle “came towards her at a high rate of speed and struck her, knocking her to the ground, with the vehicle running over her” and driving through a fence.
She reportedly became stuck under the vehicle as “the vehicle was put into reverse and tried to back out but couldn’t because she was still under the vehicle,” according to court documents.
One nearby homeowner reported his son telling him “it sounded like people were drifting, due to loud engine sounds” around midnight. When he got out of bed, the homeowner reported seeing “what appeared to be a four-wheel-drive vehicle stopped near his fence.”
After about 10 minutes, the homeowner reported, “another vehicle approached the area and then sped off towards town.”
Ramirez reportedly went to a nearby residence to ask for help, and a group of people ultimately gathered were able to lift the vehicle off of the victim.
The victim was then taken to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center, where she was treated for a fractured right leg, rib fractures, pelvic fractures and a punctured lung, according to court documents.
Law enforcement was not notified of the incident until after the victim was taken to the hospital, according to court documents.
When Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the intersection to gather evidence, they reportedly “observed physical evidence consistent with what was reported,” according to court documents.
While the victim initially identified the person she was arguing with as the driver of the vehicle that struck her, an investigation determined that the vehicle belonged to Ramirez and that Ramirez was the driver at the time of the incident, according to court documents.
The vehicle was reportedly parked in the driveway of the passenger’s residence when deputies arrived to contact the passenger.
The SUV “was observed to have front-end damage and debris consistent with the reported incident,” according to court documents.
Lewis County Jail records indicate Ramirez was arrested and booked into the jail at approximately 4:38 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
She was charged Wednesday, March 5, in Lewis County Superior Court with one count each of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run.
The first two charges each carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $50,000 fine.
“The probable cause affidavit is alarming to the state and causes concerns for community safety,” Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello said during Ramirez’s preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday, where he asked for her bail to be set at $1 million.
“The court shares the state's concerns for community safety so high bail is appropriate,” Judge Paul Strophy said Wednesday.
Due to Ramirez’s limited criminal history and her financial status, Strophy opted to set bail lower than the prosecution’s request at $750,000.
“I realize that may not make a difference in her ability to post,” Strophy said.
The defense had asked that bail be set no higher than $500,000.
A no-contact order protecting the victim is in place.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, March 13.
