Family urges long imprisonment for Las Cruces man after young dad's shooting death

A Las Cruces man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison with two years suspended for his involvement in the shooting death of 26-year-old Oscar Ramirez in February.

Osvaldo Suarez was arrested on Feb. 3, 2024 and charged with first-degree murder. He was accused of shooting and killing Ramirez an at apartment complex on the 300 block of Van Patten Drive in Las Cruces.

Suarez initially pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree murder and receipt, transportation or possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon.

But in a Sept. 19 change of plea hearing, Suarez agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter for his involvement in the death of Ramirez. Per the agreement, Suarez also agreed to a habitual offender enhancement, admitting he is the person who was convicted of three additional crimes committed between 2009 and 2021.

In 2009 and 2013, Suarez was convicted of felony trafficking charges, and in 2021, he was convicted of felony forgery in Otero County, according to the repeat offender and plea and disposition agreement. The prosecution withheld the forgery conviction, but it may be used in future habitual offender proceedings if Suarez commits future crimes or violates any conditions of his probation and parole, according to the agrement.

Suarez also was initially charged with tampering with evidence and bribery of a witness after a tenant who lives in the complex told investigators that, after the shooting, Suarez instructed her to delete security video footage of the apartment complex, according to police. Those charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Members of Ramirez family plead for longer sentence

During the sentencing hearing, 3rd District Court Judge Douglas Driggers upheld the plea agreement, despite statements from several members of Ramirez's family for a longer sentence.

The voluntary manslaughter charge carried a maximum sentence of six years, a $5,000 fine followed by two years of parole. The habitual offender enhancement added four years to the sentence.

Nine members of Ramirez's family addressed the court during Wednesday's hearing.

"Oscar did not deserve what was intentionally done to him," one family member said. "The defendant stands here entitled to a favorable outcome. I plead for a higher sentence."

Ramirez's father also addressed the court.

"Your family will be able to visit you in prison, but I will only be able to visit my son in the cemetery," he said to Suarez. "In time you will be walking the streets again. You deserve more than 10 years for what you did."

"Despite Oscar's mistakes, he was a damn good dad," said the mother of two of Ramirez's four children. "Even with this slap on the wrist you are getting, you haven't done anything except kill a young boy and take him from his family."

Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on X @jpgroves.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Family urges long imprisonment for Las Cruces man after young dad's shooting death