Joseph Ramirez pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in the Virgin Islands Superior Court Thursday for strangling a police officer during a domestic violence response in 2024, according to the V.I. Justice Department.
Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced the plea deal, which was entered before Judge Douglas Brady. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30. Ramirez faces up to 15 years in prison.
The incident occurred on May 12, 2024, at the Candido Guadalupe Housing Community on St. Croix, where Officer Elsworth Jones of the Virgin Islands Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute involving Ramirez and his intimate partner. When Officer Jones attempted to intervene, Ramirez placed him in a chokehold, strangling him. Officer Jones managed to escape, but Ramirez attacked him again before additional VIPD officers arrived and took him into custody.
Attorney General Rhea commended the efforts of Assistant Attorney General Robert Pickett, Special Agent Riquesha Williams, Assistant Director of Investigations Giselle Quinones, and Litigation Specialist Eileen Christian. He also acknowledged the work of VIPD Detective Samir Maldonado, who led the investigation.
“The Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting acts of violence, particularly those directed against law enforcement officers,” Rhea said in the statement.
