Guatemalan Immigrant, Pregnant Sister Murdered; One-Year-Old Shot in Face at Canton

A pregnant woman, her unborn baby and her brother were shot dead in their house in Canton in Mississippi by a suspected robber. Her one-year-old child was also shot in the face in the incident that happened Tuesday.

Their younger brother, who hid himself when the shootings started around 1.25 am, said at least one man broke into the house and robbed them of $2,000 before shooting the victims, reported WAPT News. The teen, Robert Ramirez, later called in the Canton Police.

The victims have been identified as 20-year-old Faustino Ramirez and 19-year-old Martina Ramirez, who was eight months pregnant.

Martina was found lying in bed with a gunshot wound to her head, while her daughter was lying next to her in a pool of blood. The child, who was hit by a bullet on her cheek, was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in critical condition. However, the toddler is stable.

The body of Faustino was lying on the floor with a bullet injury to the back of his head, said the police. It is suspected that the gunman didn't want to leave any witnesses. However, the attacker wasn't aware of the presence of the teenager in the house.

Canton police chief Otha Brown said the motive of the murder was robbery.

According to the Police, the family immigrated legally from Guatemala. "The robbery of immigrants is an ongoing problem in Canton. They are preyed upon because they keep cash on hand. When the suspect left, the witness was able to see a slender-built Black male wearing dark clothing and a dark hat," Brown said.

Police are investigating the case as a triple homicide and shooting and have requested anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477).

Friends of the family said the Ramirez siblings were very hard working. "They were smiling all the time and very helpful actually.

The two siblings had been living in the house for only a month, said Marivel Lopez, a close friend.

The friends have also made a makeshift memorial to the victims in the same house.