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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Judge orders disruptive kidnapping suspect gagged in court

A man charged with kidnapping and rape was so disruptive in a Spokane courtroom Friday that a judge ordered corrections officers to gag him.

David Ramos, 30, was arrested early Tuesday after he allegedly shoved his girlfriend into the trunk of her car, stole cash and a wedding ring from her and sexually assaulted her. He has been charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree rape.

Ramos continually interrupted the court hearing Friday, forcing the prosecuting attorney to shout in an attempt to drown him out. After several minutes and several orders that Ramos be quiet, Spokane County Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt ordered corrections officers to gag Ramos.

The corrections officers handcuffed Ramos and removed him from the courtroom inside the Spokane County Jail. The officers returned a few minutes later to report that they didn’t have anything to gag Ramos with. Ramos remained silent for the remainder of the court hearing.

Sypolt ordered his bond set at $500,000. The prosecuting attorney said any of the three felony charges would be Ramos’ third strike if he is convicted, which would mean an automatic sentence of life in prison. The attorney said there are indications that Ramos is trying to hurt the victim in an attempt to keep her from testifying.

Ramos was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday but repeatedly has refused to come to court all week. On Thursday Sypolt signed what is known as a “drag order,” which authorized corrections officers to use force if necessary to get Ramos to court. He appeared in a cleared-out courtroom Friday with four corrections officers standing behind him.

The victim told police that the incident on Monday began because Ramos was jealous about an issue with her estranged husband, according to court documents.

She said he was “driving crazy” and repeatedly hit her in the face before backing into a driveway in the 100 block of East Gordon Avenue, according to court documents. He then allegedly dragged her out of the car, punched her several times and forced her into the trunk.

Witnesses who saw Ramos forcing her into the trunk were able to provide police with the car’s license plate number. The woman told police that Ramos then took her to a home on Bridgeport Avenue and sexually assaulted her.

According to court documents, Ramos swallowed something while he was being booked into jail. He later told corrections officers that he had swallowed a ring, court documents said.