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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation

In Reply, Please Refer to Release No.

219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604

January 4, 2006 FUGITIVE ARRESTED IN MEXICO Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today announced the arrest of ROBERTO RAMIREZ , who was arrested by Mexican Federal authorities working in conjunction with FBI Agents from the FBI's Legal Attache Office, Mexico City. RAMIREZ was arrested without incident outside an associate's residence. RAMIREZ was initially charged in January, 2005, with the murder of Melissa Dorner, in Chicago. Dorner was a well-liked waitress at a local Maggiano's Restaurant. RAMIREZ resided in Dorner's apartment building. RAMIREZ was the subject of an international manhunt since January, 2005. An Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) warrant was issued in United States District Court (USDC), Northern District of Illinois (NDI), when it became apparent that RAMIREZ had fled the Chicago area. The manhunt was coordinated by the Chicago FBI's Violent Crimes/Fugitive Task Force (VCFTF), working with the Cook County State's Attorney Office. The VCFTF is comprised of FBI Special Agents, Detectives from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Investigators from the Cook County Sheriff's Police (CCSP). TV Azteca featured RAMIREZ in November, 2005, on their news format program Hechos Mexican and asked for the public's help in locating this fugitive. RAMIREZ is currently being held in a Mexican jail pending extradition. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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