RICHMOND, Va. — Four inmates affiliated with the MS-13 gang accused of “brutally” killing a K-9 dog and assaulting a corrections officer at the Sussex I State Prison in April will face a hearing in September.
The inmates — Ronald Sanchez-Ramirez, Nelson Torres Alvarez, Axel Wilfredo Ortiz Garcia, and Jose Antonio Sagastume — are facing various charges connected with the incident that left K-9 Rivan dead from stab wounds, and Correctional Officer Kharmishia Phillip-Fields injured, according to a release from the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC).
“The Virginia Department of Corrections remains steadfast in our pursuit of prosecuting these inmates to the fullest extent of the law,” said Chad Dotson, director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. “Violence has no place in our facilities – and we will not stand for attacks on our corrections team or inmate population.”
The incident on April 2 occurred when the four inmates allegedly attacked another inmate. Officer Fields and Rivan attempted to intervene, when, VADOC says, “Rivan was violently and repeatedly stabbed and kicked by the inmates.”