CONEJOS COUNTY, Colo. — A 38-year-old man who was renting a property where two peoples' bodies were found is in jail facing possible state and federal charges.
Francisco Ramirez, who officials said is a gang member, was arrested on the night of Dec. 11, 2020, in Pueblo. He has not been charged in connection to the Conejos County incident at this point.
In November, two peoples' bodies were found at a property Ramirez was renting-to-own at 19086 County Road 27 in Sanford, Colorado, according to a federal criminal complaint. The property is more than 130 driving miles southwest of Pueblo.
Another body was found at an adjacent property in the Los Sauces area of Conejos County, investigators said.
The remains were in such bad condition that authorities said they had to bring in a forensic odontologist to help identify them. Two of the bodies have been identified. They are 34-year-old Shayla Hammel and 38-year-old Myron Martinez.
>> The video above is from Dec. 29, when the second body found on the Conejos County property was identified.
Adre "Psycho" Baroz was also arrested in relation to the crime in November and is being held in the Alamosa County Jail on unrelated charges. He has also not been charged with the deaths of either of the now-identified victims.
An informant told federal officials Ramirez, who is also known as "Pancho", was an accessory to the murders, according to the complaint. The informant told investigators Ramirez tried concealing the murders by transporting the bodies in vehicles, cleaning murder scenes and helping burn evidence, including human remains, the complaint says.
The informant said Ramirez drove around the San Luis Valley with the mutilated remains in his vehicle and a vehicle owned by Baroz, sometimes for days at a time, the complaint states.
A federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said he received information on Dec. 10 that Ramirez had drugs, a firearm and was driving a white Ford Fusion car, the complaint says.
The ATF agent knew Ramirez had at least one previous felony conviction and that Ramirez was not legally allowed to possess a firearm, the complaint says.
Investigators tracked down Ramirez to an address in Pueblo.
Pueblo Police officers pulled over Ramirez in the Fusion on Dec. 11, the complaint states.
A search warrant was issued for the car, the complaint says.
Officers found a Glock handgun, two ammo magazines, and suspected heroin and methamphetamine in a hidden compartment behind the glove box and under the dashboard, the complaint says.
Ramirez was arrested on state of Colorado charges that include:
- Possession of a Schedule II drug with intent to distribute
- Special offender
- Possession of a weapon by a previous offender
The federal criminal complaint charges Ramirez with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Ramirez is being held in the Pueblo County Detention Center under a $200,000 bond.
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