PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A man convicted of murdering his girlfriend at a Phoenix apartment more than three years ago will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Friday that 40-year-old Jermaine Houston was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and a weapons charge in the death of Racal Monique Ramos.
According to prosecutors, a friend had arrived at the apartment near 27th and Myrtle avenues to help Ramos pack up her belongings so she could leave what was described as a violent relationship on Aug. 22, 2022. At the time, Houston pointed his gun in front of that friend who helped intervene and was able to put the gun away.
However, authorities said as the friend tried to calm Houston down, police arrived, which prompted Houston to go back inside the apartment, where he shot Ramos multiple times, dropped the gun, and ran outside. Court paperwork described that one of Ramos’ kids had found the gun on the floor under a table. Police said that Ramos was talking to a domestic violence shelter to find a place to stay when she was shot…