In the wake of Hudson County's 36 murders in 2008, approximately 25 of which occurred right here in Jersey City, more tears were shed last week in State Superior Court. On Friday morning April 17, Jersey City resident Ramon Ramirez, 19, of Oak Street was sentenced to 15 years in prison for charges of armed robbery, conspiracy and posession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. The crime which occurred over two years ago on February 11, 2007, involved Ramirez and his cohort, Lawrence Reid, holding a mattress store employee at gunpoint and taking off with $90 and a cell phone. The incident which occurred on Kenney Boulevard, near Morton Place, was captured on closed circuit television and resulted in the pair being captured minutes later. According to State Superior Court Judge Fred Theemling, "videotapes of the crime left no doubt of his(Ramirez) guilt". He further added "even today you show no sense of responsibility. Either you had the gun to the victim's head or you were the one to yell "pop him, pop him."

As for Reid, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges including armed robbery and drug posesion with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Nicole DePalma stated that one of the reasons he was only sentenced to 8 years in prison was he "agreed to cooperate with prosecutors against Ramirez."