Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney announced that Francisco Rivera Ramos, was convicted on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, after a nine-day jury trial. The jury began deliberations at 3:30 pm on Friday, January 13, 2023, ceased for the evening and resumed on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, after the holiday weekend. After approximately five hours of actual deliberation, the jury convicted Rivera Ramos of Burglary in the First Degree, two counts of Assault in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree.
On December 3, 2021, at around 2 a.m., Rivera Ramos, burglarized his estranged wife’s apartment in Rotterdam. Rivera entered her bedroom as she and the man she was seeing were asleep in bed. After pulling off the bed covers and screaming at them, Rivera began to punch the sleeping man. Rivera’s estranged wife repeatedly told Rivera to leave and tried to push him out of her apartment. Rivera eventually grabbed a kitchen knife and began jabbing it at the other man’s chest. Rivera slashed the man in the back of the right arm. The hospital repaired the man’s wound with six sutures. This attack occurred in the presence of their two-year old child.
Rivera fled his estranged wife’s home and returned to his apartment in Schenectady. Rotterdam Police detectives apprehended Rivera at his apartment later the same day. After placing Rivera under arrest and interviewing him at the police station, Rotterdam police detectives escorted defendant to its booking room for arrest processing. Rivera attempted to escape but inadvertently ran into a holding cell. Rivera attacked the two detectives who pursued him. Rivera kicked one male detective in the chest and grabbed a female detective by her hair and punched her in the face. The female detective suffered an eye injury and a lacerated lip. Booking room camera footage captured Rivera’s attack on the detective including him bragging about striking her in the nose.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2023, in Schenectady County Court. Rivera Ramos faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and 5 years of post-release supervision for the top count in his conviction. Schenectady County Court Judge Matthew J. Sypniewski presided over the case. Schenectady County Assistant District Attorney Jessica Lorusso prosecuted the case. Daniel Smalls, Esq. represented Rivera Ramos at trial.