WASHINGTON COUNTY (KFSM) – A 17-year-old suspect accused of killing an 18-year-old man and wounding two others in a shooting pleaded not guilty on Tuesday morning (March 17) and will be tried as an adult, officials say.
Hector Saul Ramos faces charges of first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree battery, officials said. His court date has been scheduled for April 16, according to the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police received multiple calls from people who heard gunshots at 3:21 a.m. on Friday (March 13) at the Applegate Apartments at 32 Applegate Dr., according to Sgt. Derek Wright with the Springdale Police Department.
According to authorities, when officers got to the apartments, 18-year-old Fabian Rodriguez was found with a gunshot wound. He was then put in an ambulance and taken to Northwest Medical Center where he later died, police said.
Police said they identified Ramos as the shooter. The teen told police he was inside his apartment when multiple people began to bang on his window, according to authorities.
He also told police one person was holding a machete. The teen began firing a gun through his window, hitting two people outside, according to a news release. Those two people ran away, and Ramos chased them, still shooting his firearm, the release states.
According to police, the people fleeing got into a car, and Ramos continued to shoot at them, hitting a third person.
The two people injured were identified as 21-year-old Savannah Smith and a 14-year-old boy, police said. No charges have been filed against either. Both were taken to the same hospital as Rodriguez and later released, according to police.
Ramos appeared before Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor on Tuesday morning (March 17) for his arraignment, according to court officials.
