Lemon Grove man sentenced in attempted murder of girlfriend, daughters

Danielle Dawson
·2 min read
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SAN DIEGO — A Lemon Grove man who attempted to murder his girlfriend and her two juvenile daughters in 2021 was sentenced to a prison sentence of 116 years-to-life in court on Wednesday.

Pablo Ramirez, 52, was found guilty on July 27 of attempted murder, attempted manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection to the shooting, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office.

“Pablo Ramirez destroyed a family and stole the hopes and dreams of a young woman who was just beginning her life,” DA Summer Stephan said in a release. “Today’s sentence provides a measure of justice and will hold this callous defendant accountable for his malicious acts.”

Ramirez was arrested by San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies on Sept. 8, 2021 after midnight. Law enforcement was dispatched to his home in the 1400 block of Bakersfield Street after one of the daughters escaped to call 9-1-1.

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According to prosecutors, Ramirez first shot his girlfriend Natalie Ortiz, then-33 years old, in their bedroom. He then went into the bedroom of his stepdaughters, a 15-year-old and a 11-year-old, and began shooting.

He struck the 15-year-old girl in the elbow while she was still in bed. When she attempted to flee through a backdoor, prosecutors say he shot her again in the back — an injury that left her paralyzed.

Fortunately, the 11-year-old was uninjured by the gunfire, according to the DA’s office. She was able to escape to a neighboring house during the incident to call authorities.

First responders arrived at the home within four minutes for the first 9-1-1 call. After authorities arrived on scene, medical personnel performed life-saving measures on Ortiz, who was found by “minutes from death,” and her 15-year-old daughter.

“The survival of the victims was due to the immediate response of law enforcement and the exceptional trauma care provided to the victims,” the DA’s office wrote. “Without the heroic and expedient response by deputies and trauma surgeons (Ortiz) would have died from multiple gunshot wounds.”

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