A man suspected in a string of burglaries has been arrested by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, thanks to Ring. The suspect is believed to be behind at least 19 home break-ins and burglaries in San Diego and Riverside Counties.
Earlier this month, Amy, a homeowner from Escondido, had a run-in with Ramos, who pretended to be a salesman looking for a client. Although he didn’t know it at the time, Ramos’ entire conversation was recorded by the customer’s Ring Video Doorbell.
Less than an hour after this encounter, a house across the street was broken into, and the description of the suspect matched Ramos’, who was wearing dark slacks, a blue shirt and a striped tie. When Amy heard of the break-in at her neighbor’s house, she immediately shared the Ring footage with her local Sheriff’s Department and NBC 7 San Diego.
Our team learned about the incident the next day, and we were determined to help the neighborhood put an end to Ramos’ crime spree. So we went on the offensive and turned to social media to get the word out. Quickly, we created a Ring Neighborhood Alert and posted it on our social channels.
Within minutes, thousands of local residents saw the video of the suspect, and our social channels were flooded with tips.
On Monday, just a couple weeks after posting the alert, Ramos was arrested in Encinitas. A sheriff’s deputy had recognized him from the Ring video and gave chase.
Ramos then fled to a parking lot, where he pointed a gun at a local man and his seven-year-old son, carjacked the pair and drove away.
Ramos didn’t get far, and he jumped out of the car while stopped on North Coast Highway 101. As he ran away, Ramos pointed his gun at the pursuing officers, who shot him in the arm and the leg. Ramos was arrested and booked on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, burglary and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This scary incident shows us how effective home security can be when you have support from your community. The footage from Amy Taylor’s Ring Video Doorbell was key to identifying Ramos, but the local news coverage and the social media push led by Ring were essential for his arrest. If Amy didn’t hear about her neighbor’s break-in and share the Ring video footage, Ramos might still be on the streets, stalking her community.
Ring kept Amy’s family safe and her home secure, but by working with local police and news media, we were able to keep her whole neighborhood safe as well. With Ring, you’re always home, and when you’re part of our community, we’ll always be there for you.
If you have any tips related to Ramos’ arrest, or if you want to report a crime in the area, contact the San Diego Police Department at 619.531.2000.