WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oscar Ramos, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 39.5 years in prison for first-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed. The sentencing follows Ramos’s conviction for the May 28, 2015, shooting that resulted in the death of one man and the injury of another, as announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In April, a jury found Ramos guilty of killing 50-year-old Pedro Melendez Alvarado and wounding 56-year-old Miguel A. Rodriguez Carabantes. The two men, both residents of Alexandria, Virginia, were driving to work together when Ramos shot them from his car on I-295. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan ordered Ramos to serve 360 months in prison for the first-degree murder conviction and an additional 114 months for assault with intent to kill.
According to the government’s evidence, Ramos, an MS-13 gang member, was one of three men in a car driving on I-295 northbound in Southwest D.C., near exit 1. The car Ramos was in pulled alongside the victims’ vehicle, and two men, including Ramos, opened fire, striking the victims before driving away.
Ramos was charged in 2021 after evidence emerged identifying him as the mastermind behind the plot to kill Mr. Alvarado. Both Ramos and Alvarado are from El Salvador, and Ramos believed Alvarado was involved in the death of his father years earlier in their home country.
This significant sentence reflects the severity of Ramos’s actions and underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat gang violence and bring justice to victims and their families.
