Warring Text Messages Led to Fatal Silver Spring Shooting: Police

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Warring text messages between two men transferring a child from one parent to another resulted in a fatal Silver Spring shooting, Montgomery County Police said Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, March 17, police arrested Erick Ramirez, 24 of the 8300 block of Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring, for Monday’s murder of Jonathan Lopez, 24, of Brentwood.

The victim was taken to a local trauma center, but died from his wounds early Tuesday.

Investigators say Lopez was in a relationship with a woman who had a child fathered by Ramirez. On Monday night, the woman and Lopez went to pick up the child from Ramirez at his Piney Branch residence; Lopez waited outside in the vehicle. While the woman was inside the home, Lopez and Ramirez exchanged text messages. After the couple had picked up the child and driven away, the two men continued to text one another.

Shortly after Lopez received a text from Ramirez, Lopez returned to the area where Ramirez lived. Police say Ramirez confronted Lopez, shot him, and fled on foot. After being shot, Lopez ran a short distance before collapsing on the sidewalk.

Detectives obtained a warrant for Ramirez charging him with first-degree murder and poice arrested him last night in the 4400 block of Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. Ramirez remains in custody in Washington, D.C., awaiting extradition.

»Photo of Erick Ramirez, courtesy of Montgomery County Police Department

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