The Georgia man charged with kicking a counterprotester who was on the ground in the Market Street Parking Garage August 12 was denied bond this morning in Charlottesville General District Court.
Alex Michael Ramos, 33, appeared before Judge Bob Downer seeking bond for his release from Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail. Ramos surrendered August 28 to the Monroe Sheriff’s Office in Forsyth, Georgia.
His attorney, John Joyce, stressed that Ramos had no criminal record “at all” and that he turned himself in.
Assistant Commonwealth’s attorney Nina Antony said that Ramos did not immediately turn himself in after the FBI released wanted posters August 24.
Ramos said he didn’t know about the arrest warrant until a friend called and told him about it August 28. “I’ll be honest, I had a hard time thinking about it,” he told the judge, but he did go to police several hours later.
Ramos was not part of the group of alt-right protesters that have been seen in video and photographs beating Deandre Harris, according to his attorney, and he was on the opposite side of the street when he came over to the garage. “I would note he did not have any weapon on him,” said Joyce.
He added, “It may have been Mr. Harris that struck the first blow.”
Antony noted Ramos had no ties to Virginia aside from one friend in Richmond, and the “level of violence” in arguing to keep him in jail. “Mr. Ramos came into a fight he had no part in,” she said. “He strikes someone who is on the ground.” Harris ended up with multiple injuries, including a broken wrist and eight staples in his head.
Judge Downer agreed when he denied bond. “Hitting a person when they’re down and running up like that is a vicious offense,” he said.
Ramos is scheduled to be in court again October 12.
Also in court this morning was Jacob Smith, the Louisa man accused of punching Hill reporter Taylor Lorenz in the face August 12 on Fourth Street after a car plowed into a group of counterprotesters and told her to stop recording. His case was continued to November 3.
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