Man Sentenced In Fatal Shooting In Meriden

MERIDEN, CT — A Meriden man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in connection with the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man in Meriden in 2021, according to officials.

Brandon Ramos, also known as “Don L66t,” 27, was found guilty on July 29 of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Evidence presented at the trial showed that, in the early morning of August 22, 2021, Ramos fatally shot the victim, 20-year-old Jyineez Cruz of Meriden, according to a news release from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

“During their investigation, the Meriden Police Department learned that Ramos was hosting a birthday party at his recording studio in downtown Meriden when he engaged in an argument with Cruz in the parking lot outside,” officials wrote in the news release. “During the argument, Ramos walked to a nearby parked car to retrieve a .45 caliber handgun and returned to the location of the argument and shot Cruz three times. Cruz was pronounced dead on scene. Ramos did not have a permit to carry a pistol at the time of the incident.”

An arrest warrant was secured for Ramos in September 2021, and he was extradited from the state of Florida as a fugitive from justice in December 2021.