Judicial Watch Presses Investigation of San Francisco’s Sanctuary Policies Following Triple Murder Perpetrated by Illegal Alien

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it filed a California Public Records Request with the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department to obtain arrest and booking records related to Edwin Ramos, an illegal alien, who was charged with a June 22, 2008, triple murder.

Judicial Watch is seeking: "All public records concerning or relating to any arrest and/or booking of Edwin Ramos."

Ramos allegedly gunned down Tony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew with an AK-47 following a minor traffic incident on June 22. According to press reports Ramos, an illegal alien from El Salvador, had been arrested on three prior occasions and convicted of two felonies but was never turned over to federal immigration authorities. According to a recent Associated Press story, this was "largely as a result of San Francisco’s self-imposed sanctuary status." San Francisco law prohibits local officials from cooperating with federal officials in deporting illegal aliens.

As recently as March 2008, Ramos was arrested after police discovered a gun in his car that had been used in a double homicide. The district attorney’s office did not press charges and Ramos was released. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that the agency was never notified of the arrest.

"The murder of these three innocents is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of illegal alien sanctuary policies," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Edwin Ramos should have been deported long ago. Instead, San Francisco authorities put him back on the streets, and now three people are dead."

In addition to its investigation of the Ramos incident, Judicial Watch has an ongoing taxpayer lawsuit against San Francisco related to its status as an illegal alien sanctuary city (Fonseca v. Fong, Case No. A120206). The lawsuit is currently on appeal. Judicial Watch also recently launched a brand new Internet site dedicated to fighting illegal alien sanctuary policies across the United States, www.sanctuarybusters.org.