California man accused of beating his 62-year-old mother to death

FRESNO, Calif. (TCN) — Police recently announced the arrest of a 35-year-old man on suspicion of killing his 62-year-old mother, who was found deceased in her home this week.

According to the Fresno Police Department, on Monday, Jan. 20, officers responded to the area of East Cortland Avenue and Ninth Street to perform a welfare check on Shirla Ramirez after she failed to show up to work. Fresno Interim Chief of Police Mindy Casto said Ramirez had a birthday on Sunday, Jan. 19, and co-workers told law enforcement she didn’t reply to their celebratory text messages.

Responding officers noticed the front door of Ramirez’s residence was ajar. They entered and found Ramirez in the back of the house bloodied and deceased. Investigators suspect the victim died of blunt force trauma and multiple lacerations to her upper body, and they ruled her death a homicide. However, Casto said police are waiting for the medical examiner to determine her exact cause of death. According to the interim chief, officers located blunt force weapons near Ramirez’s body.

Ramirez reportedly lived alone and called out from work three days prior, on Friday, Jan. 17, claiming “family issues.”

Further investigation revealed Shirla Ramirez’s son, Brad Ramirez, allegedly killed his mother. Casto said Shirla Ramirez’s vehicle was involved in a collision, and California Highway Patrol personnel located Brad Ramirez near the scene. Officers arrested him on Jan. 22 after he was discharged from Community Regional Medical Center. He remains held in the Fresno County Jail on a charge of murder.

According to Casto, the suspect’s motive remains under investigation.

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