Caregiver kills 80-year-old man during tussle inside of a Miami-Dade home, police say
.jpg "Joan L. Ramos, 45, was arrested on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023.")
A caregiver killed an 80-year-old man after a tussle Sunday in a home north of Homestead, police say. Eight hours later, the aide called 911.
Joan Lugo Ramos, 45, is charged with manslaughter of an elderly or disabled adult. A judge on Monday set his bail at $15,000 after he pleaded not guilty, Miami-Dade County court records show. He remained behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday afternoon.
Around 9:20 a.m., Miami-Dade officers and paramedics hurried to 15001 Leisure Drive, where Ramos also lived, after he called 911 to alert he had killed someone, according to his arrest report. Upon arrival, first responders found the victim dead in a bedroom.
Ramos, who had been the victim’s caregiver for four years, told investigators that he heard the victim scream around 1 a.m., NBC South Florida first reported. Upon entering the victim’s bedroom, Ramos said the victim grabbed his neck, leaving a visible scratch. Then Ramos said he grabbed the victim, leading both to fall and hit a nightstand.
As Ramos continued to struggle with the nude victim to avoid being exposed to bodily fluids, he bear-hugged the elderly man from behind and used excessive force, causing both to fall forward.
“The defendant fell on top of the victim and heard a crack when the victim’s head hit the ground face first,” a police officer said in the report. “The defendant explained that after the fall, the victim was unresponsive.”
Ramos, police say, told investigators that he chose to wait around eight hours to call 911 due to being in shock. Officers note he also admitted to investigators that he was aware that he used excessive force — and never feared for his life or safety.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 3:09 PM.
