People v. Ramos CA4/1

INTRODUCTION

Jennifer Mendoza Ramos appeals from a judgment of conviction for first degree murder. She contends the trial court prejudicially erred when ruling on two motions in limine and committed sentencing error. We reject both contentions, but we agree the judgment must be modified to correct a small number of typographical errors in the abstract of judgment.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In a Mirandized1 videotaped interview with Sheriff’s deputies, Ramos admitted that, on April 10, 2020, she took a large kitchen knife from her apartment, walked a few blocks from her house, and started looking for someone to kill. The first person she saw was Chad Danielson out walking his dog. She approached him from behind, grabbed him in a “bear hug,” and stabbed him in the chest. Danielson tried to defend himself, but Ramos was able to stab him “again, and again, and again.” She stabbed him until she knew he would die from his wounds. After she was certain he would die, she picked up the knife, ran home, and took a shower. Danielson did in fact die from the seven stab wounds she inflicted to the front and back of his torso. Ramos claimed the devil told her to kill the first person…