Officials and family members said Marco Ramirez died when he was confronted by suspects who had stolen his father's car. Investigators are searching for three more suspects.
DALLAS — A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a man who tried to stop a car thief in Dallas last week, police said.
Dallas police identified the arrested suspect as 30-year-old Alejandro Deleon. Officials said he was arrested last Friday, three days after the shooting that killed 24-year-old Marco Antonio Ramirez.
Police said DeLeon was charged with murder and booked into the Dallas County Jail.
The shooting occurred Nov. 14 in the 5300 block of Parry Street near Interstate 30 and Barry Street. Police received a call at 4:23 a.m., records show.
Family members said a red Chevrolet truck owned by Ramirez's father near their home was stolen shortly before the shooting. Marco's brother, Juan Ramirez, told WFAA that his sister witnessed the car theft and went looking for the car when she found the truck at a nearby home.
Ramirez said he confronted the four robbers and they jumped in a truck and took off.
“She saw everything going on and got out of the car and said, 'Hey, you came in my dad's truck,'” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said Marco and his father used the truck every day to help renovate the house. Ramirez added that this was more than just property theft, it was personal.
“When they took that truck, they took part of our livelihood,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said her sister called police and said Marco was also in the truck at the time.
“She's on the phone with my brother, telling him which streets to go to and things like that,” Ramirez said.
A doorbell camera on Parry Avenue captured the suspect speeding past in a stolen truck, with the sisters following behind. I hear the screeching of tires. The thieves stopped because Marco blocked the street with his truck on the other side.
Moments later, gunshots rang out throughout East Dallas. Marco was shot in the street, and the gunmen split up and abandoned the truck not far from the scene of the shooting.
Ramirez said her sister was waiting for paramedics with her injured brother.
“He cornered them and they nailed them and that's when they opened fire,” Ramirez said.
“All I was thinking was that my brother was a hero – he didn't think he was suddenly a hero. You know, I think thieves run when they get caught. But that didn't happen, and now we “lost a family member,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said Marco worked to grow his and his father's business so that his father could eventually retire. He added that his older brother loved fishing, was quick to do anything for anyone, and loved playing with his friends.
He said their bond deepened during a recent trip to Yellowstone National Park. We pooled our funds for this trip to have fun for the whole family.
“He was a really fun guy. He embodied everything about being an American citizen. He was the American dream. That's what he was. My family set up a ladder and we allowed him to climb on it, and that’s what he was doing,” Ramirez said.
If you know anything about this shooting, please call police.
According to the Dallas Police Department, auto thefts in 2023 will increase 42% year-to-date compared to this time last year. The number is now 16,432, compared to 11,601 at this time last year.
Note: Next video It was uploaded before the suspect was arrested.
