A nearly decade-old feud born from tragedy overseas culminated in a cold-blooded murder on a D.C. highway and now has ended with a D.C. man behind bars, convicted of the grueling crime. Oscar Ramos, 35, was found guilty on counts of first-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed in a drive-by shooting that took the life of one man and injured another, authorities said, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia.
Details emerged following the verdict announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith. On May 28, 2015, Ramos, identified as an MS-13 gang member, was a passenger in a vehicle on I-295 when it pulled up to another car. Inside that car was Pedro Melendez Alvarado, 50, who was driving to work with his co-worker 56-year-old Miguel A. Rodriguez Carabantes. Ramos and an accomplice unleashed a barrage of bullets, hitting both men before speeding off. Carabantes survived, while Alvarado did not.
The case against Ramos didn't materialize until 2021 when evidence linked him to the shooting. Both men hail from El Salvador, and Ramos harbored a belief that Alvarado had been involved in his father's death years earlier back in their home country, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia.
Sentencing is set for July 12, as determined, by The Honorable Mark Raffinan. The collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies including MPD, FBI's Washington Field Office, and the Departments of Justice, and Homeland Security were highlighted in the case's successful prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Jacqueline Yarbro were the figures leading the charge at trial.
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