8-year-old son saw his pregnant Rock Hill mom stabbed to death, police say
A man from Mexico under an ICE hold accused of killing a pregnant South Carolina woman and her unborn child stabbed her repeatedly in front of her 8-year-old son, then confessed after he was caught in Charlotte, according to police testimony in court Wednesday.
Pedro Mondragon Ramirez, 41, is charged with murder and death of a child in utero after Leonor Alpizar, 37, died in the stabbing May 16 at a mobile home on Iris Circle. He was extradited to Rock Hill on Tuesday and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The motive appears to be jealousy, testimony showed.
Mondrago-Ramirez admitted to police “he stabbed the victim over a male shirt he found inside the house,” Rock Hill Police Department detective Nathan Anderson said in Rock Hill Municipal Court Wednesday.
Alpizar was stabbed in the abdomen, chest and arms. Mondragon-Ramirez admitted he knew Alpizar was 7-months pregnant at the time of the killing, Anderson said.
Alpizar’s son, 8, witnessed the crime and told responding police Mondragon-Ramirez stabbed his mother, according to Anderson and arrest warrants obtained by The Herald.
Police have said Mondragon-Ramirez and Alpizar were in a relationship but have not provided further details.
Police found evidence from the stabbing inside the vehicle Mondragon-Ramirez was driving when he was arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police after a pursuit Saturday morning, Anderson said. Officers had to use stop sticks to stop the vehicle, which belonged to Alpizar, he said.
Family asks for justice
Alpizar, who is one of eight siblings, has two sons ages 18 and 8, family members told The Herald. The younger son is in second-grade at a Rock Hill elementary school, according to family. She worked at a warehouse, family said.
More than a dozen family and friends packed the courtroom where details of the crime were spoken about publicly for the first time. Alpizar is also of Mexican heritage, testimony showed.
Through an interpreter in court, one of her brothers asked for justice for Alpizar and her unborn daughter.
“I want justice for my sister and my niece,” he said.
Another brother was too distraught to speak in court as he fought back tears.
Suspect on ICE hold silent in court
Mondragon-Ramirez required a Spanish-English interpreter in court. He is from Mexico and has ties both there and locally, Anderson told Rock Hill Judge Sara Russell. Anderson said Mondragon is both a danger to the community and a potential flight risk because of his ties to Mexico.
It is unclear how long Mondragon-Ramirez has been in the United States.
The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has a detainer on Mondragon-Ramirez, according to court documents. That means if he is ever released from jail, he could be picked up for possible deportation.
Mondragon-Ramirez, shackled with handcuffs and leg irons, did not speak in court other than to say through the interpreter he understood the charges against him and wanted a lawyer.
Russell denied bail after appointing a public defender to represent him.
What happens now?
Mondragon-Ramirez will be transferred to the York County jail before a next scheduled court appearance this summer.
He could seek bail, even with the ICE hold on him.
Kevin Brackett, 16th Circuit Solicitor, told The Herald Tuesday allegations of murder and the death of an unborn child demand any suspect face the charges in South Carolina court before deportation or any other federal immigration action.
