| For Immediate Release Case #10HF0027 August 17, 2011 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
DRY-CLEANING BUSINESS MANAGER SENTENCED TO 95 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR RAPING TWO WOMEN, INCLUDING MINOR HE MET THROUGH WORK
SANTA ANA – A dry-cleaning business manager was sentenced today to 95 years to life in state prison for forcibly raping two women, including a friend and a minor female, whom he met through work. Jaime Zamora Ramirez, 42, Costa Mesa, was found guilty by a jury July 20, 2011, of two felony counts of forcible rape and one felony count of forcible sexual penetration with sentencing enhancement allegations for forcibly raping multiple victims and committing a sexual offense during the commission of a residential burglary. He also has a prior strike conviction for vehicular manslaughter in 1992.
Jane Doe #1
On Oct. 12, 2008, Ramirez went out dancing with a group of friends, including Jane Doe #1. After the victim returned home, Ramirez knocked on the door of Jane Doe #1’s apartment and asked for a beer. She gave him several beers to take back to a neighbor’s house. One of the neighbors came over to the victim’s apartment and noticed that Ramirez was bothering Jane Doe #1. Ramirez and the neighbor walked outside Jane Doe #1’s apartment and argued about the defendant’s treatment of Jane Doe #1. Ramirez then returned to Jane Doe #1’s apartment, forced her onto the bed, and forcibly raped her. This case was investigated by the Anaheim Police Department.
Jane Doe #2
On the morning of July 11, 2009, Ramirez, a manager of First Class Cleaners in Fountain Valley, instructed a co-worker to have a minor employee, Jane Doe #2, help with “special deliveries.” Special deliveries require employees to drop-off and pick-up customer dry-cleaning.
The defendant told the co-worker to drive Jane Doe #2 to Ramirez’s Costa Mesa home to pick up some paperwork for the business. Upon Jane Doe #2’s arrival, the defendant lured her into his home and led her to a room under the pretense of giving her the paperwork. Once she entered the room, Ramirez locked the door and forcibly raped her.
Jane Doe #2 told Ramirez that she was going to report him. Ramirez knew of her undocumented immigration status and warned her that if she reported the rape, no one would believe her. Three days after the rape, Jane Doe #2 told co-workers about the sexual assault and they convinced her to report the incident to the Costa Mesa Police Department.
During the sentencing today, Jane Doe #2 told the court in a victim impact statement that she had dreams to build a better life for herself, but Ramirez took that away from her in a matter of minutes. She said that she is still not able to move on and overcome the trauma of being raped.
Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.