An El Paso man accused of fatally stabbing his elderly aunt and girlfriend on Christmas Day 2022 is set to go to trial on a capital murder charge.
Gabriel Antonio Ramirez
, who was 33 at the time of the stabbings, will go to trial Monday, Aug. 17, on one count of capital murder of multiple persons in connection with the deaths of his 79-year-old aunt Irma Ramirez and his 24-year-old girlfriend Kathia Rosales.
A jury was selected Friday, Aug. 14, with opening statements set to begin the morning of Monday, Aug. 17. Gabriel Ramirez is facing life in prison if he is convicted.
Attorney Francisco F. Macias is representing Gabriel Ramirez. Assistant District Attorneys Josh Avila and Hassan Hassan are prosecuting the case for the El Paso District Attorney's
Office.
Judge Patricia C. Baca of the 346th District Court is presiding over the trial at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse in Downtown El Paso.
Aunt dies from multiple stab wounds
Irma Ramirez called 911, telling emergency dispatchers that she had been stabbed about 5 p.m. Dec. 25, 2022, at a home in the 3700 block of Truman Avenue in Central El Paso.
Officers found Irma Ramirez with multiple stab wounds. She was taken to a hospital by ambulance, but later died from her wounds, El Paso police officials said in 2022.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Gabriel Ramirez after conducting an investigation.
Girlfriend found dead in car
Police received another 911 call, reporting a death and an injured person about 4 p.m. Dec. 26, 2022, in the 500 block of Gregory Avenue in the Kern Place neighborhood in West El Paso.
Officers found Gabriel Ramirez bleeding profusely in the front yard of a house from self-inflicted slashes to his neck and wrists, police said. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital in critical condition.
Investigators determined Gabriel Ramirez had allegedly stolen his aunt's car from the Truman Avenue house. They found Rosales' body inside the car, officials said. She was allegedly stabbed to death.
Gabriel Ramirez was released from the hospital and arrested on a capital murder charge. He was booked into the El Paso County jail on Dec. 31, 2022, on a $1.5 million bond. He remains jailed awaiting trial. A 2022 jail booking photo shows him with stitches across his neck.
A motive in the slayings has not been disclosed. The motive will most likely be a key piece of evidence presented at the trial.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man accused in fatal stabbings goes to trial, faces life
