Modesto father of slain boy continues in sixth day of testimony

The father of a slain boy began his sixth day on the witness stand Wednesday, testifying about the circumstances that surrounded his son’s 2009 shooting death in Modesto’s La Loma neighborhood.

The 10-year-old boy, Epifanio Ramirez Jr., was not the intended target in the shooting. The bullet went through a wall and struck the boy. His father, Epifanio Ramirez Sr., answered questions Wednesday during cross-examination.

He said he never thought the drugs he sold and the cash that flowed through his home could attract negative attention. “It’s not like we had millions of dollars sitting in the house,” Ramirez said.

The father has testified about his criminal past, his rise through the ranks of the Norteño street gang and how leaving the gang eventually led to the deadly shooting. Authorities call the shooting gang retaliation, because they say Ramirez was selling drugs out of his home on Norteño turf and not sharing profits with gang leaders.

Aaron Aguilera, Randy Sifuentez and Joe Luis Ramirez are on trial charged with murder in the shooting deaths of the boy and Jason Cyphers, 29. Cyphers was in the home’s open garage with the boy’s father and three other people when shots rang out. Joe Ramirez is not related to the boy or his father.

Epifanio Ramirez Sr. was paroled from prison and eventually moved to the house in the 100 block of Santa Barbara Avenue, where the shooting occurred. His girlfriend was already living there with her children, and his son would stay there from time to time.

When asked whether he thought about it before moving into an area claimed by Norteños as their turf and establishing a drug house that would become known to the neighborhood, the father said, “No, I didn’t.”

He was asked what he thought would happen when Norteño gang members found out he was selling drugs on their turf without sharing profits. “Apparently, I didn’t care what they they thought,” Ramirez said about his former fellow gang members.

He’s testified about getting pounds of meth from suppliers in Mexico, whom he calls “Border Brothers.” He said he would then distribute the drugs to street dealers.

Robert Winston, Aguilera’s attorney, asked Ramirez whether the Border Brothers were members of a Mexican drug cartel. Ramirez said they were not. He testified that one of these meth suppliers had been ripped off, but the supplier knew Ramirez was not involved.

Security for this murder trial has increased since it started last week. Along with several sheriff’s deputies posted inside and outside the courtroom, investigators from the District Attorney’s Office stand just outside the doors.

Deputies screen everyone who enters the courtroom. Audience members are asked for identification before they enter. Their driver’s licenses are scanned digitally, and their names and driver’s license numbers are logged into a book.

Ramirez has testified that he was well aware he can be targeted for death after testifying against former fellow Norteño gang members.

Judge Marie Silveira last week informed audience members that there are cameras in the courtroom focused on the audience. She said officials monitor the camera footage when the trial is in session, and the footage is recorded.

Testimony in the lengthy trial continues Thursday in Stanislaus Superior Court.

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Modesto father of slain boy continues in sixth day of testimony."