Fort Myers police: Carjacking, kidnapping suspect arrested at gas station

A man accused of carjacking a vehicle with a 3-year-old boy in it on Friday confessed to authorities after capture on Tuesday.

The man, Freddy Ramirez, told police he committed the crime out of desperation because he is unemployed, according to Fort Myers police Det. Laynor Rodriguez, who led the investigation.

Fort Myers police Capt. Victor Medico said Ramirez, 48, grabbed a woman from behind with “an implied weapon and forced her to the ground,” then stole the pickup with the woman’s child in the backseat.

The incident happened at a Citgo gas station along Palm Beach Boulevard on Friday.

Rodriguez said police spent the weekend and part of Monday searching for Ramirez, but the man told police he had spent the weekend indoors to avoid capture. According to Rodriguez, the man is a recent transplant to the area and has been in Fort Myers for five months. He is originally from Miami.

“We haven’t stopped looking for this guy,” Rodriguez said.

They found him at Shell station on Palm Beach Boulevard and Pine Street in Fort Myers on Monday.

As they stopped to question Ramirez, he ran from police but was clipped by a passing vehicle.

Rodriguez said Ramirez wasn’t injured.
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“The community, it was huge they all provided videos they were extremely grateful we were out there,” Rodriguez said.

Ramirez faces charges of carjacking, kidnapping, child neglect, criminal mischief and resisting officers, Medico said.

Rodriguez said he planned to visit the family on Tuesday to let them know Ramirez was behind bars.

“We didn’t know if this guy was going to do it again,” Rodriguez said. “We tried to get this guy as quick as possible, especially when we involve a kid.”