Convicted Felon Charged In Moreno Valley Slaying

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A convicted felon accused of gunning down a 30-year-old man during a confrontation in Moreno Valley, then fleeing to another city where he was later apprehended, was charged Monday with murder and other offenses.

Joe Miramontes Jr., 31, of Moreno Valley was arrested last week following a Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigation into the slaying of Gilbert Ramirez.

Along with murder, Miramontes is charged with being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm, possession of controlled substances for sale and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

He's being held in lieu of $1.2 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta and was slated to make his initial court appearance Monday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

According to sheriff's Sgt. Lance Stoyer, Miramontes and Ramirez were involved in an unspecified dispute at 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 12 in the 24000 block of Bostwick Drive, near Cactus Avenue.

During the encounter, Miramontes pulled a handgun and shot the victim several times, then fled the location, Stoyer alleged.

Deputies and paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced Ramirez dead at the scene.
Central Homicide Unit detectives soon identified Miramontes as the alleged assailant and obtained an arrest warrant. Two days later, the defendant was located in a residence on Laurel Avenue in Pomona, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Court documents show that Miramontes has a prior conviction in Riverside County for making criminal threats.