Sometimes words are inadequate

[Murph]

AND Then we have this: This almost brought a Texas Ranger to tears, when he was telling me about the 10 year olds statement, I had to leave the room in about 45 seconds, and I am pretty desensitized by now. Our Ranger, you could see the haunted look in his eyes when he was talking about this case. I thought I was going to throw up when he told me about the last hours of this child. This is THE most horrible case I have ever heard of in my law enforcement career. Thank G_d it did not happen to the 10 year old, and the parents are IN JAIL! Dr. Kellog is as close to a Saint as I am likely to find in my lifetime, she runs the Center for Miracles in San Antonio. She has testified in one of my cases, and I cannot speak of her as highly as she deserves.

KSAT.com
Related To Story

Gonzales Couple Accused Of Starving Second Child
Steve, Bettie Ramirez Face 2 Charges Of Injury To Child

POSTED: 11:47 am CDT September 5, 2007
UPDATED: 12:44 pm CDT September 5, 2007
SAN ANTONIO -- A Gonzales County couple charged in the fatal starving of an 8-year-old foster child have been charged with starving another child, law enforcement authorities said.

Steve and Bettie Ramirez now face two counts of injury to a child.

The couple was originally charged last week in the starvation death of 8-year-old Crystal Ramirez.

During the investigation, law enforcement authorities determined that the couple also starved the girl's 10-year-old sister, who is hospitalized at a San Antonio hospital.

The girls' younger brother, who authorities don't suspect was being starved, is in foster care and is attending school, law enforcement authorities said.

Steve Ramirez is being held in lieu of $350,000 bond and Bettie Ramirez is being held on a $300,000 bond.



Additional charge filed on Gonzales County couple

Another injury to a child charge added for mistreatment of adopted daughters
September 07, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m. BY SONNY LONG - VICTORIA ADVOCATE GONZALES - Crystal Ramirez likely spent the last days, weeks and months of her short life hungry, beaten and bound.

Crystal, 8, died on Aug. 23. Her sister suffered the same treatment and is currently hospitalized in San Antonio for malnutrition. Ruben Stephen and Bettie Ramirez, the couple who adopted Crystal and her two siblings, have had an additional injury to a child charge added to the original charge following Crystal's death. An additional $200,000 bond has also been set for both, said Gonzales County Sheriff Glen Sachtleben. The girls' brother, a 7-year-old, is attending school in San Antonio.

Both surviving children are in the custody of Child Protective Services until a custody hearing is held.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit issued on Tuesday, Crystal and her 10-year-old sister were "bound to their bed and would have to remain in their room for days or more as punishment."

The information was obtained from the surviving 10-year-old who was interviewed by Dr. Nancy Kellogg, an expert in the area of child abuse and starvation from the Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital, Center for Miracles, in San Antonio.

Kellogg, according to the affidavit prepared by Texas Ranger Dewayne Goll, indicated that the 10-year-old was "starved to the point of malnutrition" and "hit and restrained abusively consistent with torture."

According to the affidavit, the 10-year-old told Kellogg that her parents "would put masking tape and sometimes the fiberglass tape in their (Crystal and the 10-year-old's) mouths and they would have to bite down." The parents "would put duct tape over that. When they would pull it off hard ... hair would come out and there would be blood on the tape."

function submitCommentsForm(){ document.getElementById("storyCommentForm").submit (); } The 10-year-old also told Kellogg that the girls "would be taped over the tops of their heads and around their chins because if they were thirsty or hungry or had to 'go potty,' (the parents) did not want the girls calling them," according to the affidavit. The older sister also reported that both parents would hit the girls as punishment, according to the affidavit.

After searching the Ramirez home, law enforcement officers' discoveries substantiated the 10-year-old's allegations, according to the affidavit. Bindings (tape) were found attached to folding lawn chairs that were used as beds for the girls. A large bell was attached to the girls' bedroom door, which had a handle installed on it that locked from the outside, according to the affidavit.

Injuries to both girls were also observed and documented.

Sonny Long is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-275-6319 or


Adoptive Parents Starved Girl To Death

SAN ANTONIO — Teresa Camirillo lost custody of her two children because of her drug use. Her 8-year-old daughter, Chrystal, was given to her uncle and aunt, Bettie and Steve Ramirez. It was in their home in which she was chained to a wall and was starved to death.

“The child was emaciated and in really poor condition,” Gonzales County Sheriff Glen Sachtleben said. “They chained her to a wall. They starved her.”

She weighed less than 30 pounds when they found her body. Betty Ramirez is being held on a $100,000 bond and Steve Ramirez is being held on a $150,000 bond. However, showing just what a great mother she truly is, Teresa Camarillo, who is not allowed to attend her daughter’s funeral because she relinquished custody, said she would risk arrest to see Chrystal buried…instead of not risking arrest and actually taking care of the girl in the first place. God bless her

[Michelle Allmon]

DEATH PENALTY. DEATH PENALTY. Doesn't matter is it's done legally...

[HeatherLou]

Those poor children:( It irritates me to no end, they ADOPTED these children. I agree with Michelle. Jeff and I have been trying for 7 years to have kids. We have not adopted because we cant afford it. It takes attorneys and Social workers and that whole process! How did these people qualify? I just don't get it. You don't just *starve* a child, that takes planning, and a meanness I just don't understand. I get a heat of passion thing, I have seen parents get so frustrated with kids, so I get that,

[HeatherLou]

I can only say I agree with Michelle.

[NoLight]

Sad thing is, stuff like this happen all the time. Why would anyone want to take inosence away from a child???? Life is cruel enough without people hurting kids.... Very sad indeed.

[Michelle Allmon]

Stuff like this does happen all the time, and I think every regular on here already knows my spiel about that. If someone near me did that and bonded out, I would step up. No one would blame me. As my husband says, I would "take the hit." It's for the greater good. That's martyrdom, something that doesn't exist anymore. Okay, vigilantism. Just as good when the persons are definitely guilty. I'll stop now.

[Janice_d]

Its hard to understand LET want to .. as to why adults want to do this to children... They are sick.. I have been on that recieving side.. but not to this extent.. I was Saved by my grandparents.. which I thank God every day.. I had them.. I can only hope these girls can over come this .. with good therapy and rebuilding the trust.. they have a Chance... I agree..with the rest.. but death is too easy for them...

[pippin]

This is a choice. That child was their choice as to wether or not to adopt. They CHOSE to adopt this child. That is what makes it all the more sickening. Choose to look after a child, but chain the poor child up, beat and starve? The death penalty is just too good for these two.

Pity an eye for an eye doesn't happen these days. I'm pretty sure lots of people (me included) would love to see these two chained, beaten and starved.

[Michelle Allmon]

Pity an eye for an eye doesn't happen these days. I'm pretty sure lots of people (me included) would love to see these two chained, beaten and starved.

*clears throat*

[NoLight]

Originally Posted by Michelle Allmon

*clears throat*

Yep

[epoh]

When I read this stuff, I am always amazed at the number of people who _don't_ believe in the death penalty. People like that deserve to be put down like dogs. Hell, I would actually treat my dog better than those 2!

[lucian]

I've tried to understand what makes people like this tic. All I can come up with is pure evil.

I also think the rehabilitation of someone like this is rare and I think they should just be put down like you would a rabid animal.

I have absolutely no tolerance for people who abuse children.

The only time I ever deliberately drank to excess was after working a child abuse case. The only time my kids ever saw me take more than one drink. I would have willingly given the parents what they did to their child.

I just can't understand why anyone would want to hurt a child.

//Edited for spelling and emotional typos.//

[Duffy Pratt]

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

[BlueStar-57]

It's a shame, but these people have nothing to fear. What free room and board or maybe peacefully going to sleep? The only punishment a pen has is taking away someone's freedom, which many gladly do in order to get a free ride through life. It's not a sweat shop of hard labor or punishment. Now if we had the electric chair or hanging trees still that might make some reconsider killing someone else since it's not an easy way to die. If those locked up had to face a life of hard labor, no TV or outside contact they might think twice before committing a crime also.

I'm for an eye for an eye, they die the same way they killed someone and it is put on public tv in order to deter others from doing what they did. It is not the first case nor will it be the last as long as their is no true punishment for crime anymore or even a real justice system. Last I knew repeat offenders or past criminal records can't be brought up at trail, yes they served their time once but if they didn't learn to be a better person from it then it should be brought up their second, third or fourth time around at trails.

It is sad but until the laws and punishment change, it will go on. And that won't happen until people rise up to the occassion and force such changes to come about.

[Murph]

And what's sad, is I have seen more outrage directed at the three boys who tortured the dog to death, than I have about this little girl. Its a sad state of affairs.