PORTLAND, Oregon– Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that yesterday, July 26, a 12-person jury found Michael Christopher Ramirez, 22, guilty on four counts including two counts of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm and two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm.
On May 24, 2019, around 2 a.m. Ramirez and a group of teens were car prowling in the area of Southeast 103rd Avenue and Southeast Reedway Street. An area resident, Sergey Peshkov observed their behavior and confronted the group to get them to stop. When they did not, he approached a second time and the four other members of the group walked away.
Ramirez stayed behind near a vehicle parked on the street. He then shot Peshkov several times with a firearm before fleeing the area. Peshkov was struck by bullets in his right arm, abdomen, leg, and once in the head which proved to be fatal. Several hours later, Ramirez drove himself and three of the teens back to the location to view the body, and bragged about the murder.
The following night, on May 25, 2019, around 8:00 p.m., Ramirez and an acquaintance, Lorenzo Gordon, met in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the area of Southeast 162nd Avenue. Both men were in vehicles and three other people were present at the time. Ramirez and Gordon began to argue. Gordon exited the vehicle he possessed and approached Ramirez’s driver-side window. Ramirez then fatally shot Gordon once in the chest and fled the scene.
Forensic testing determined that the bullets and cartridge casings recovered from the fatal shooting on May 24 and May 25 were from the same firearm. Ramirez was arrested on May 26, 2019 on an unrelated charge. Ramirez subsequently incriminated himself in the two shootings while in custody at the Inverness Jail.
“Mr. Ramirez took two lives in two days. Mr. Pashkov was simply trying to keep himself and his neighbors safe. Mr. Gordon was simply having an argument. Neither warranted a death sentence. These killings were senseless, purposeless, and have had a ripple effect in the communities where they took place. I appreciate the thoughtful deliberation of the jury and believe justice was served,” stated Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Kate Molina.
Ramirez is scheduled for sentencing on September 16.