By Jeff Lipton
As the victim, Dagoberto Ramos, stepped out of Mott Avenue Grocery and Meat Market, at 18 Mott Avenue, near the corner of Lawrence Avenue, a group of five to seven men in their 20s confronted him, police said.
One of the men pulled a handgun from a knapsack and then fired a gunshot, which struck Ramos, a Mott Avenue resident, in the left side of the chest, investigators said.
They were immediately belligerent and yelling things [at the victim] that would lead us to believe there was some gang involvement, said Det. Lt. Dennis Farrell of the Nassau County Homicide Squad.
Detectives declined to elaborate on what was said by the group, but a cousin of the victim, Albaro Hernandez, 20, of Inwood, who was waiting for the victim before the shooting, said he heard them yell MS-13, which is the name of one of the most violent gangs. It stands for Mara Salvatrucha, which directly translates into Forever Salvador or more loosely, Long live El Salvador, officials said. The MS was started by a group of rebels hoping to overthrow El Salvador's government during the country's civil war. The MS is an Hispanic gang international in scope which has grown in the New York area.
Police arrested one suspect, identified as Pedro Rosales, 20, of Caffrey Avenue in Far Rockaway, early Monday morning and charged him with gang assault in the first degree, Farrell said. Rosales is a member of MS-13, Farrell added.
He was present and one of the agitators. One of the criteria for gang assault is that you have to be a part of group or gang with intent to cause injury and that injury resulted in death, Farrell said. He Rosales] did not actually pull the trigger.
Police said they continue to search for four to six people, including the triggerman.
Ramos was rushed to St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, where he was pronounced dead by doctors about an hour after the shooting, authorities said.
Farrell said the incident began shortly before 6 p.m. on June 2 when Ramos and some friends were hanging around across the street from the deli. Ramos and a girl then decided to go inside the deli to purchase something to drink.
At that point, a group of about five to seven males, some riding bikes and others on foot, entered the block from Lawrence Avenue and began to yell at Ramos, Farrell said. They then started to throw bottles at him. That is when the gunman entered the block and squeezed off a shot that hit Ramos, Farrell said.
Even though the gunman entered the block after the others, he appeared to be a part of the same group, the lieutenant added.
Some of the group involved in the shooting were dressed in clothing that is associated with gangs, Investigators said. Police said there are no indications that the victim was involved in any gang activity.
At this time we have no knowledge that Mr. Ramos was involved in any gangs, Farrell said. We don't know the provocation for this.
There was not a whole lot of time for him to take action at all, he added.
Police said they were interviewing witnesses over night on Sunday and through the day on Monday to determine what exactly happened.
Friends and family of Ramos gathered on Monday at his home, located a few blocks from the scene of the shooting, to console one another. They described him as quiet and hard-working.
Manuel Ramos, the victim's uncle, who operates an auto repair shop across from the scene of the shooting, said Dagoberto was a nice quiet fellow. He respected me. He worked all day long. He has a lot of friends. But he added he was not familiar with all of Dagoberto's friends and that was worrisome.
Dagoberto Ramos arrived in the U.S. about five years ago from La Paz, El Salvador, to join his parents in Inwood. Relatives said he was a good student at Lawrence High School, but had to drop out to work at a fencing business to help support the family. His most recent job was at Zomick's Bakery in Cedarhurst, where he made the bread, his family said.
He was a good person, said Hernandez. There were never any problems, anytime. Yesterday [Sunday] he stayed home asleep all day long.
He said his cousin picked up the bottle and tried to defend himself and that's when he was shot. I don't understand why they were fighting with him.
Farrell said Ramos was definitely the intended target, but a motive remains unclear.
Police said they are trying to determine if something happened earlier on Sunday between the gunman and the victim that led to the fatal shooting.
Nassau Homicide detectives are also sharing information with the Nassau County Special Investigations Squad and the Queens Police Gang Unit to determine the extent of gang activity in Far Rockaway and Nassau.
Residents said drug and gang activity are rampant in the community. This is a bad area, said Rony Reyes. This incident scares me. Police should do more to get rid of the gangs.
There are a lot of gangs, too many, said Manuel Ramos.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is urged to call 1-800-244-TIPS. All calls will be kept strictly confidential, police said.
