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Manager previously charged with raping 17-year-old employee in court for second rape
Dry cleaning business manager Jaime Ramirez, previously charged with raping a 17-year-old female employee, was in court this morning for raping another woman. His arraignment was continued to Jan. 28, 2010.
On July 20, 2009, Ramirez was charged with raping one woman. Ramirez was charged on Jan. 8, 2010 with raping another woman, increasing the maximum sentence from eight years and eight months to 60 years to life in state prison.
On Oct. 12, 2009, Ramirez is accused of knocking on the door of a woman's apartment and asked for a beer, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. She was a friend of his. After leaving briefly, Ramirez allegedly returned, forced her onto the bed, and raped her.
The rape Ramirez was previously accused of took place July 11, 2009. That morning, Ramirez allegedly instructed a coworker to have a 17-year-old female employee help with "special deliveries," requiring employees to drop off and pick up customer dry cleaning.
Ramirez allegedly told a coworker to drive the 17-year-old to Ramirez's Costa Mesa home to pick up some paperwork for the business when they finished that day's deliveries. Upon her arrival, Ramirez is accused of luring her inside and leading her to a room where he said the paperwork was located. Once she entered, Ramirez allegedly locked the door and raped her.
Ramirez is accused of threatening to report the employee's undocumented immigration status if she reported the rape and warned that no one would believe her story. Directly after the attack, she told coworkers what happened and reported the rape to the Costa Mesa Police Department. On July 16, 2009, Ramirez was arrested by detectives at First Class Cleaners.
Ramirez, 40, has a 1992 prior strike for vehicular manslaughter. Ramirez is being held on $1 million bail.
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The Orange County District Attorney's Office is encouraging anyone with additional information or has been a victim to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Tim Craig at (714) 347-8558.
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