The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) requested that a man convicted of rape be released following his diagnosis of dementia. The man, Ramiro Ruiz, was incarcerated for 85 years to life in prison in 1998 after repeatedly raping, sodomizing, drugging, and chaining up his children.
The children ranged in age from 5 to 15.
Prosecuting Attorney Eric DuTemple opposed the request, stating, as per KGET, “This guy was clearly a monster then, and he’s a monster now. I think that he was best described in the probation court when he was sentenced that he is a sadistic pedophile.”
“The decision the court has to make is the defendant is still capable of committing super strikes and is he an unreasonable risk to the public if we release him out of CDCR custody,” he noted.
Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno argued that Ruiz was still able to commit crimes despite his age and diagnosis. “This was probably one of the most heinous sex crimes I have seen in my 20-plus years as a prosecutor,” Moreno said. “He does have an advanced age — I believe he’s 86 — but that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of maneuvering or manipulating a 2- or 3- or 4-year-old child up onto his lap where he could inflict all kinds of horrible damage.”
“People were sentenced for their crimes, they were sentenced by judges and juries, and victims were given assurances that this is the amount of time this defendant would serve,” Moreno emphasized.
The judge denied the request, stating, the “motion for compassionate release is denied.”
