BRANDON VILLA - 10 months/ Accused: Father; Jonathan Villa-Ramirez - Dodge City KS

Father accused of child abuse, murder to appear Oct. 31

By Abigail Wilson, Dodge City Daily Globe
Posted Sep 15, 2012 @ 06:00 AM

DODGE CITY — A 24-year-old man from Dodge City will have a contested preliminary hearing Oct. 31 at 9:30 a.m.

Jonathan Villa-Ramirez is being held without bond in regards to the death of his son, 10-month-old Brandon Villa.

In a contested preliminary hearing, prosecutors must convince the judge that there is probable cause to believe that a crime was committed and that the defendant committed the crime. If probable cause is established, the case will proceed to trial. If the judge decides there is not probable cause that the defendant committed the crime, the charge could be dismissed or reduced to a misdemeanor for trial in court.

Villa-Ramirez was arrested July 25 in Texas County, Okla. by the Texas County Sheriff's Department on a warrant for child abuse issued by the Dodge City Police Department (DCPD).

His son was taken to Western Plains Medical Complex July 22 with critical injuries and later airlifted to Wesley Hospital in Wichita. Ford County Attorney Terry Malone said the infant was kept alive on a ventilator while in the hospital.

The charges against Villa-Ramirez escalated to homicide July 26 when the DCPD was notified of Brandon's death.

Ford County records show Villa-Ramirez was on bond for a pending case of aggravated robbery and three other charges, according to Deputy Ford County Attorney David Belling. The other charges Belling spoke of are attempted aggravated robbery, attempted robbery and aggravated assault. He posted a $75,000 bond March 21, 2011 for the crimes which allegedly occurred in Ford County March 2, 2011.

Villa-Ramirez will be represented by defense attorney Derek Miller.

http://www.dodgeglobe.com/newsnow/x1803415981/Father-accused-of-child-abuse-murder-to-appear-Oct-31