People v. Ramirez CA4/1

FACTS

In July 2013, Juan German prepared to go to sleep on a park bench in Calexico,

California. German, a homeless farmworker, carried his belongings in a backpack.

Another man, later identified as Ramirez, approached German. Ramirez repeatedly said,

"Where's my stuff? Where's my f-ing pipe?" Ramirez spoke quickly and belligerently,

and German had difficulty understanding him. Ramirez then grabbed German's backpack

and proceeded to walk away. German said, "Hey, that's mine," and followed Ramirez.

German grabbed at Ramirez's right arm, which was holding the backpack, and Ramirez

threw back his elbow at German.

A lettuce knife, which German used in his farm work, fell out of the backpack.

Both men attempted to grab the knife, but Ramirez reached it first. Ramirez held the

blade towards German in a threatening manner. German, who had grabbed the backpack,

left it and ran away, screaming for help. Still holding the knife, Ramirez picked up the

backpack and gave chase. Ramirez kept asking, "Where is it? Where is it?" As Ramirez

got closer, German screamed even louder. German eventually reached a police station.

Ramirez then dropped the…