DUI Driver Hits Family Resulting in 5 Year Old Brain Dead

INCIDENT DATE/TIME: 7-7-24, 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Haster St. & Twintree Lane
AREA/CITY: Garden Grove

SANTA ANA (CNS) - A 5-year-old boy who has been in the hospital since he, his parents and two siblings were injured over the weekend when hit by a vehicle while on a bicycle ride, has reportedly been declared brain dead.

The boy and his family were injured on Sunday when a suspected DUI driver hit them. Earlier this week, the suspect -- 29-year-old Ceferino Ascencion Ramos of Santa Ana -- was charged with hit-and-run with permanent and serious injury, failing to stop at a hit-and-run accident with injury, and driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, all felonies.

Jacob Ramirez has been declared brain dead by doctors, according to an NBC4 report updated early Friday morning.

"Right now, I just have 24 hours I begged them for to just spend as much time as I can with him," Angela Hernandez Mejia, the boy's mother, told NBC4.

Angela and the family's 8-month-old daughter were also hurt in the crash but have since been released from the hospital. Angela's husband and their 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, remain in the hospital, NBC4 reported.

The mother said she plans on being at her son's bedside until she has to say goodbye. She told NBC4 that doctors performed one final scan on Jacob's brain and unfortunately, it showed no activity.

"It's just so hard," Angela said. "Now, I just think what could I have done different. I would have even given my life for my son."

A GoFundMe page to assist the family had raised more than $52,000 as of Friday morning. The page may be viewed at www.gofundme.com/f/help-ramirez- family-overcome-accident-trauma.

According to the Garden Grove Police Department -- which reported Friday morning that they could not confirm that the boy had been declared brain dead -- two adults were riding with the children in bike trailers at about 7:35 p.m. Sunday in the 12300 block of Haster Street at Twin Tree Lane when they were struck by a black 2003 Toyota Camry and the driver left the scene.

"A nearby witness followed the suspect vehicle and notified officers of its whereabouts as it fled the scene of the collision," GGPD Traffic Investigator John Yergler said in a statement. "Officers located the vehicle, conducted a traffic stop and detained the driver/solo occupant of the vehicle approximately 1.2 miles from the original collision scene."

The father, 27, and two children were rushed to hospitals in critical condition, according to police.

The criminal complaint alleges Ramos got in his car in Santa Ana to drive to a liquor store in Anaheim to buy more beer. He is accused of having a blood-alcohol level of .22, according to the complaint.

Ramos did not enter a plea at his arraignment Tuesday. He was scheduled to be arraigned July 25 in the West Justice Center in Westminster.

Copyright 2024, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-07-12-2024 09:21

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