Osceola County Sheriff’s Deputy Elias Ramirez III, 34, was arrested Thursday morning on domestic violence charges after a confrontation that ended with the alleged victim heading to a nearby RaceTrac and calling police. According to deputies, Ramirez is accused of shoving and kicking the victim and taking both her personal and work phones before she left the scene. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has placed Ramirez on administrative leave while investigators review the case, and deputies say the victim told them she did not want to prosecute or testify.
Allegations in the arrest affidavit
The arrest affidavit states Ramirez refused to return the victim’s phones and would not leave when she asked him to, which investigators say pushed her to go to a RaceTrac in Orange County and contact law enforcement from there. As reported by ClickOrlando, Ramirez was taken into custody on Thursday, and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said it placed him on administrative leave. The agency also notes Ramirez has been with the department since 2024.
Agency response and precedent
The sheriff’s office typically pulls deputies off duty when criminal allegations surface so internal affairs can dig into the details. Coverage by WESH shows the department has previously put personnel on administrative leave while the State Attorney reviewed criminal claims and internal investigators examined conduct. Those steps give both prosecutors and the sheriff’s office time to gather evidence before deciding on criminal charges or employment status.
What happens next
Although the victim told deputies she did not want to prosecute, ClickOrlando reports that the decision to file charges ultimately rests with prosecutors, not the complainant. The Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which handles prosecutions and victim services in Orange and Osceola counties, provides victim support and manages charging decisions, according to the office’s victim services listing at the Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit. For how Florida law defines domestic violence and related offenses, see statute 741.28 from the Florida Legislature. If prosecutors choose to move forward, any criminal case would play out separately from the sheriff’s internal employment investigation.
