Gunman Sentenced in 1990 Gang Slaying

A former San Juan Capistrano man convicted of murdering another man six years ago in San Clemente’s first gang-related killing was sentenced Friday to 19 years to life in prison.

Juan Jose Ramirez, in an emotional appeal to the judge, apologized for shooting Roman C. Calvillo of San Clemente at a dance and later fleeing, telling the victim’s family he was sick with shock when he realized a man was dead.

“I know they feel bad, but if it helps them any, I feel sorry for what happened,” Ramirez told Superior Court Judge John J. Ryan. “I had something I had to live with. It made me feel so bad there were many nights I couldn’t sleep or eat.”

The family of the victim, a painter and father of a young daughter, urged the judge to impose a stiff sentence to let Ramirez and others know that their community is tired of the violence.

“I never knew how much it could hurt to lose a loved one to violence,” said Anna Garcia, the mother of the victim’s child. “I dream almost every night of Roman and can’t get him out of my mind.”

Authorities said the 1990 killing outside the Great Wall restaurant in San Clemente marked the violent end to a night of taunting between rival gangs. The defendant denied he was a member of a San Juan Capistrano gang, while relatives of Calvillo have said he was friends with San Clemente gang members but was not active in the group.

Ramirez, then 19, fired at least one shot inside the restaurant, then ran outside and continued to shoot at the unarmed victim, who fell with a fatal wound to his side, Deputy Dist. Atty. Gary Paer said during a trial held before the judge, not a jury, at the defendant’s request.

The defendant testified that the San Clemente group started the fight, and he fired his gun in self-defense to scare the others away. He said he brought the gun for protection because he and his brother, who was working at the dance as a disc jockey, had experienced problems in the past protecting their equipment.

Ryan rejected the self-defense claim and convicted Ramirez of second-degree murder, citing evidence that the victim was fatally struck outside the restaurant and could not have been moving forward to confront the defendant.

After the shooting, Ramirez fled to Mexico and then to Delaware, where he was arrested in 1994 following a routine traffic stop.