Domestic abuser sentenced for 2022 murder of his girlfriend in Phoenix

PHOENIX — A domestic abuser was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend three years ago, authorities announced Friday.

Jermaine Houston, 40, fatally shot his girlfriend as she was trying to leave their apartment near 27th and Glendale avenues in August 2022, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).

Racal Monique Ramos, 36, was packing her belongings and speaking with a domestic violence shelter to find a safe place to stay when he shot her multiple times, prosecutors said.

Houston was convicted of one count of first-degree murder, one count of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of misconduct involving weapons.

Houston ran off after the shooting, but police found him hiding nearby in the backyard of a home and took him into custody.

“My office is committed to standing with victims, pursuing justice, and working to break this cycle of violence in our community,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in the announcement.

What happened before man fatally shot his girlfriend during domestic violence episode?

Officers responded to reports of threats involving firearms at a residence on Aug. 23, 2022.

A friend of Ramos was also in the apartment at the time of the incident. The friend was there to support Ramos and help her pack her belongings.

While Ramos was trying to leave, he pointed a gun at her, prosecutors said. The friend attempted to intervene and convince him to put the weapon away.

When police arrived, Houston and the friend were on the patio.

After seeing the officers, Houston went back inside and shot Ramos multiple times. Officers found her with several gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Her four children fled the apartment during the shooting.

“Domestic violence destroys families in an instant,” Mitchell said. “Too often, children are left to carry the trauma of what they’ve witnessed, and survivors face impossible choices about their safety.”

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