Dental patient speaks out against University Heights dental assistant
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – 3/3/16 – The story about the dental assistant accused of molesting at least 13 women while they were unconscious in the dentist’s chair keeps getting bigger.
Luis Ramos is facing new charges involving 12 more potential victims, claiming Ramos took advantage of the vulnerable patients, who were under anesthesia.
If convicted, Ramos could face up to 18 years in prison.
3/1/16 – Over 20 charges were added Tuesday against Luis Ramos, a 36-year-old dental assistant accused of sexually assaulting females while they put were under anesthesia at the Park Boulevard Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery office in University Heights.
Twelve additional victims were also added to the list of those making allegations against Ramos.
On February 5, Ramos plead not guilty on seven felony accounts for allegedly sexually assaulting an anesthetized 17-year-old patient.
Ramos originally got out of custody on $100,000 bail, but has been taken back into jail after the bail amount was increased to $1 million. The increased bail amount coming from Judge Dan Link, who cited an “extreme change of circumstances,” after 24 counts were added Tuesday, including felony sexual penetration and misdemeanor sexual battery, by Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle.
“These charges involve Mr. Ramos taking advantage of his position as a dental technician to commit sexual acts on women who were anaesthetized,” Doyle said outside of the courtroom Tuesday.
Mignon Hilts, the Deputy Public Defender on the case, was unable to argue his client’s bail to be set at $500,000.
In the initial case, Doyle alleged that Ramos molested the 17-year-old girl for seven minutes, touching her breasts and putting his face in her chest, while he was alone with the female on January 21, 2016.
Ramos faces 18 in prison if convicted for his accusations, including molesting 13 women, ages 17 to 62, from January 2015 through January 2016.
A preliminary hearing is set for April 5.
Additional charges added Tuesday:
Ramos was remanded $1 million bail and arraigned on amended (24 new counts, 12 new victims). 31 total counts, 13 total victims. The preliminary hearing was confirmed for April 5. Below is a breakdown of the new charges.
Penal Code section 243.4, subdivision (b) – Felony Sexual battery of an institutionalized victim (skin-to-skin contact of an intimate part of the victim, while the victim was unconscious due to anesthesia)
Penal Code section 243.4, subdivision (e)(1) – Misdemeanor Sexual battery (unconsented to touching of an intimate part, through clothing, for purposes of sexual gratification)
Penal Code section 289, subdivision (e) – Felony sexual penetration of a person preventing from resisting by an anesthetic substance (2 counts, the most serious charge, vaginal penetration by finger)
The original seven counts, were all 243.4, subd.(b) – as to the same victim
Amended Complaint
| COUNT | DATE | CHARGE | VICTIM | DESCRIPTION |
| 8 | 1/1/15 – 1/31/15 | PC 243.4(b) | Latoya M. | placed face between breasts |
| 9 | 9/24/15 | PC 243.4(e)(1) | Elaine P. | touched breasts |
| 10 | 12/30/15 | PC 243.4(b) | Maria P. | touched breasts |
| 11 | 1/7/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Kaylin K. | touched buttocks |
| 12 | 1/12/16 | PC 243.4(e)(1) | Tanaira J. | touched groin (at 12:54:20) |
| 13 | 1/12/16 | PC 243.4(e)(1) | Tanaira J. | touched buttocks (at 12:57:00) |
| 14 | 1/12/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Jessica Y. | touched breasts |
| 15 | 1/13/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Briana U. | touched vagina (at 11:52:20) |
| 16 | 1/13/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Briana U. | touched buttocks (at 11:52:32) |
| 17 | 1/13/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Briana U. | touched buttocks (at 11:54:00) |
| 18 | 1/13/16 | PC 289(e) | Briana U. | Inserted finger in vagina (at 11:55:01) |
| 19 | 1/13/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Briana U. | touched breasts (at 11:55:07) |
| 20 | 1/14/16 | PC 243.4(e)(1) | Maria F. | touched breasts |
| 21 | 1/14/16 | PC 243.4(e)(1) | Maria F. | touched groin |
| 22 | 1/15/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Maria G. | touched breasts (at 10:10:32) |
| 23 | 1/15/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Maria G. | touched breasts (at 10:11:00) |
| 24 | 1/15/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Maria G. | touched breasts (at 10:15:07) |
| 25 | 1/15/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Valerie S. | touched breasts (at 10:55:45) |
| 26 | 1/15/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Valerie S. | touched breasts (at 10:56:57) |
| 27 | 1/19/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Jacqueline S. | touched breasts (at 13:20:35) |
| 28 | 1/19/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Jacqueline S. | touched breasts (at 13:22:30) |
| 29 | 1/21/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Marlene L. | touched breasts (in dental chair) |
| 30 | 1/21/16 | PC 289 (e) | Marlene L. | fingers in vagina |
| 31 | 1/21/16 | PC 243.4(b) | Marlene L. | touched breasts (in wheelchair) |
2/9/16 – More possible victims have come forward to make allegations against a dental assistant charged with sexually assaulting a 17- year-old girl while she was undergoing a dental procedure under anesthesia, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle told Judge Jay Bloom that since Luis Ramos was arraigned on Friday, at least 15 calls have come into the San Diego Police Department regarding the case.
Out of those 15 calls, one female has been interviewed by police and the investigation is continuing, the prosecutor said. Doyle asked the judge to increase the defendant’s bail from $100,000 to $500,000, but the judge declined, saying the information presented was "very speculative.”
Detectives are sifting through 500 hours of surveillance video from Park Boulevard Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery to see if they can find evidence of other females being molested, Doyle said. Ramos, 36, pleaded not guilty to seven felony counts of sexual battery of an unconscious person involving the 17-year-old girl. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Doyle alleged that Ramos molested the girl — touching her breasts and putting his face in her chest — for about seven minutes while he was alone with her at the surgical office on Jan. 21. The alleged crime was captured on video, the prosecutor said.
"She (the victim) felt some touching that happened after the procedure (which was) somewhat inappropriate. She reported that,” Doyle said outside court. "When we served the search warrant, we recovered a video of the act occurring.” Ramos had worked for the surgical office for three years, Doyle said.
The defendant’s employer has cooperated with investigators, said police Lt. Sandra Rapalee-Albrektsen. Ramos has been suspended without pay pending resolution of the case, said general manager Chasity Daniel. A readiness conference was scheduled for March 1 and a preliminary hearing set for April 5.
2/5/16 – Luis Ramos, 36, pleaded not guilty Friday during his arraignment for allegedly sexually assaulting an anesthetized 17-year-old girl while working as a dental assistant at a University Heights surgical office.
Ramos faces up to 10 years in prison on seven counts of sexual assault.
Ramos, who had worked at the surgical office since September 2013, has been suspended from the surgical office without pay pending resolution of the case, said general manager Chasity Daniel.
Ramos is being held in San Diego Central Jail in lieu of a $2 million bail.
2/4/16 – An El Cajon dental assistant at a University Heights surgical office was arrested Wednesday for allegedly sexually assaulting an anesthetized underage patient while working.
Luis Ramos, 36, was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of two counts each of oral copulation and sexual battery of a medically incapacitated person, according to San Diego police.
Ramos allegedly molested the patient, whose name and age were withheld, while she was undergoing a dental procedure at Park Boulevard Oral &
Maxillofacial Surgery on Jan. 21.
The business has cooperated with investigators, Lt. Sandra Rapalee-Albrektsen said. It was not immediately clear if the suspect is still employed by the company.
Ramos was being held in San Diego Central Jail in lieu of $2 million bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
