SAN ANGELO, Texas — Testimony from Tom Green County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Investigator Andrew Alwine continued Wednesday morning in the case of the State of Texas versus Andres Rios Ramirez. Ramirez has been charged with the March 20, 2018, murder of Camille Garcia.
District Attorney Allison Palmer showed Alwine more documents and photographs entered into state's evidence, including a consent to obtaining a buccal (cheek) swab from Ramirez for DNA purposes and a voluntary statement form signed by Ramirez.
Photos were presented of Ramirez's body from several different angles, showing his hands, chest, back and forearms. In one photo, a scabbed-over scratch near Ramirez's left ear was visible, as well as a red mark on his jawline.
Alwine indicated there were no offensive or defensive injuries on Ramirez at the time the photos were taken. The scratch, Alwine said, was similar to scratches from a fingernail.
After the custodial interview with Ramirez, Alwine said he filed a complaint with Justice of the Peace JP McGuire, seeking an arrest warrant for murder for Ramirez.
A search warrant was obtained for 629 Antonio St. after the interview, and Alwine traveled to that location once Ramirez was booked into custody.
Palmer went over crime scene photos with Alwine, as well as scene re-creation photos. Alwine said multiple items of evidence were collected from 629 Antonio St. during the course of the investigation, including a sectional couch and anything that could be used as a "knife."
Alwine described the home smelling of "decomposition and pine cleaner."
The sectional couch was found to have a hole and "biological material," on it at the scene. Sections of the floor and a carpet were also found to be wet with cleaner and biological materials.
Among the other items found in and around the home were rope in the bedroom and front yard, bedding that matched what Garcia was found in when her body was located in the Dumpster on Cactus Lane, as well as a wet sheet in a nearby residential trash bin.
What investigators did not find, at 629 Antonio St., or at Ramirez's grandparent's home, 402 Emerick St., were a bullet or a shell-casing related to the crime.
After cross-examination by court-appointed defense attorney, Kirk Hawkins, Alwine was excused and TGCSO Jail Investigator Derek Williams was called to the stand.
In his capacity, Williams serves as the custodian of records at the jail. Palmer introduced a DVD with seven clips of four separate visits between Christine Flores and Andres Ramirez while he was in custody at the Tom Green County Jail.
In the video and audio recordings, Ramirez refers to Flores as "mom," while speaking to her.
He can be heard saying, "I know I (expletive) up. Like, I committed a crime, but I don't belong in here," and "God forgive me, you know what I mean?"
Hawkins asked Williams about the lengths of each of the four visits depicted in the videos and Williams was excused from testimony.
Texas Ranger Philip Kemp was the final witness called for the prosecution Wednesday morning. He explained to the court what his investigation entailed, detailing how a trajectory rod and angle measurements were used.
From the findings during investigation, Kemp said the gun would have to be fired down at a steep angle.
More photos of evidence collected were shown, detailing BLUESTAR findings of biological materials on the sectional, carpet and flooring taken from 629 Antonio St.
Hawkins asked Kemp during cross-examination if the blood patterns would have been "spread out" during the "cleaning process."
Palmer told the Hon. Brad Goodwin that the State rested its case at noon. Goodwin called for a recess for lunch.
Opening arguments by the defense will begin at approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
