A carjacker who was shot and killed by a Texas father after attempting to steal a vehicle with the man's family still inside was living in the United States illegally. Jose Ramirez, 30, a Mexican national who was not a US citizen, has been identified as the man caught on surveillance footage approaching the driver's side door of a white sedan parked in a lot in Garland at around 3:30 pm on Sunday, according to Fox 4.
It does not appear that Ramirez was a Garland resident, and it remains unclear when he may have entered the country. He was pronounced dead following the attempted carjacking over the weekend, when the vehicle's owner allegedly fired more than 10 rounds at him.
Surveillance footage captures the incident
Shocking surveillance footage showed the unidentified father still in the vehicle with his relatives as Ramirez approached. The father then sprang out of the sedan and attempted to prevent Ramirez from entering, while the rest of his family fled. The two struggled as the carjacker managed to get into the driver's seat, and they continued to tussle until the criminal pushed the father out and stood up, closing the back door before successfully getting back into the vehicle. However, the father managed to get around to the passenger-side front door, where he opened fire.
Previous attempts to steal other vehicles
Tatiana Starks, who manages a nearby smoke shop, said she noticed Ramirez tried to get into other vehicles before targeting the family's car. 'You could definitely tell that he was not in his right state of mind,' she told Fox 4. 'I'm just glad that the man was able to protect himself and his family. It's just a blessing that the kids and the family walked away with no injuries.' Police later confirmed that Ramirez had attempted to illegally enter two other cars after he 'crashed into two vehicles,' Lieutenant Pedro Barineau told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
The father who opened fire is unlikely to face any charges, with Lieutenant Barineau telling Fox 4 that his actions 'seemed to be self-defense.' 'It kind of all happened like really fast,' he added. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment.
