Edwin Ramos, the alleged MS-13 gang member convicted last month of murdering a father and two of his sons in San Francisco’s Excelsior District four years ago this month, was sentenced today to three consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A jury convicted Ramos, 25, of El Sobrante, on May 9 of three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting of Anthony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, at the intersection of Maynard and Congdon streets on June 22, 2008.
Along with the three life terms–one for each victim killed–San Francisco Superior Court Judge Charles Haines this morning also imposed a concurrent sentence of 182 years to life in prison for the various other charges in the case, including the attempted murder of another son, Andrew Bologna.
Andrew was in the family’s car at the time of the shooting but escaped injury. He testified in the trial that Ramos was the shooter and was alone in his car.
Ramos testified on his own behalf and insisted that, while he was driving the car used in the shooting, another man, Wilfredo “Flaco” Reyes, was the shooter. Reyes remains outstanding.
Ramos spoke at today’s sentencing and expressed condolences to the Bologna family while not admitting guilt.
“There’s not a day that goes by that that’s not on my mind,” he said of the shooting. “If I could go back in time and trade places with any of them, I would.”
He plans to appeal the conviction but said, “I’ve put everything in God’s hands … once you do that, you stop worrying about tomorrow.”
Before the sentencing, Ramos’ attorneys had sought a retrial using several arguments, including allegations that emotional displays during the trial by Danielle Bologna, the wife and mother of the victims, affected the jury.
Haines denied the motion, saying Danielle and other family members “conducted themselves in the most respectful, dignified manner that could be expected considering the enormity of the loss.”
He said, “The Bolognas were the victims here. They did not victimize the defendant.”
Ramos’ attorneys also accused jurors of misconduct, saying that one juror with a mathematical background wrote out a complicated math formula in the deliberation room about the trajectory of the shots that was not presented during the trial.
That line of reasoning was also rejected by Haines, who said his sentence of three consecutive life terms was “the only choice,” given “this tragic case in which each victim was brutally and senselessly murdered.”
Danielle Bologna spoke to reporters after the sentencing.
“We got victory, and today we got justice for our three loved ones,” she said, noting that the four-year anniversary of the deaths is coming up in a couple of weeks.
“Four years we waited, so you can imagine today was a good day,” she said.
Andrew Bologna and his 14-year-old sister remain in witness protection with Danielle because of the case.
District Attorney George Gascon also addressed reporters after the hearing, saying the three life terms is a recognition by the judge “of the severity of this case.”
“The whole system sent a very clear message … that there is no tolerance for violence,” Gascon said.
Assistant District Attorney Harry Dorfman, who prosecuted the case, said he is now working with the Bolognas to figure out a restitution amount that Ramos should have to pay to the family–a figure that will be determined at a yet-to-be-scheduled hearing.
“In a sense it’s symbolic, because the human loss here is what matters the most,” Dorfman said.
He added, however, that the amount “will serve as a reminder to Mr. Ramos while he is in prison … every day he will have to think about this family and what he did to them.”
The case brought national attention to San Francisco in 2008 because of the city’s sanctuary policy, which shielded undocumented juveniles suspected of crimes from being reported to federal immigration officials.
Ramos, who moved to the U.S. as a teen and remained on an expired visa from El Salvador, was never reported to federal authorities despite multiple contacts with police as a juvenile.
The city has since changed its policy. The Bologna family filed a lawsuit against the city about the policy, but the suit was later thrown out of court.
12:44 PM: Edwin Ramos, the El Sobrante man convicted last month of murdering a father and two sons in San Francisco’s Excelsior District in June 2008 was sentenced today to three consecutive terms of life in prison.
Ramos, 25, was convicted May 9 of three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting of Anthony Bologna, 48, and his sons, Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, at the intersection of Maynard and Congdon streets the afternoon of June 22, 2008.
Ramos spoke at this morning’s sentencing.
“There’s not a day that goes by that that’s not on my mind,” he said of the shooting. “If I could go back in time and trade places with any of them, I would.”
“No words can express my condolences,” he told the family.
Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Ramos is a member of the violent MS-13 gang and shot the family members after mistaking them for rival gang members.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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