Two men have been arrested for shooting a dentist in Florida who was set to testify in December against one of the shooter's brothers, who was accused of stealing $40,000 from her and her practice, according to news reports.
Ralph Benjamin, 39, and Hector Ledesma, 34, were arrested on November 22 at Miami International Airport and have been charged with attempted, premeditated murder in the shooting of Carmen Ramirez, DDS.
She was shot multiple times in the back on November 19 while in front of GĂĽines Dental Office in Hialeah. The day after the shooting, the men bought one-way airline tickets to the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to reports.
Dr. Ramirez, who remains in a medically induced coma, likely was targeted due to her plans to testify against Ledesma's brother, Jose Ledesma, police said. Since Benjamin lives in the Virgin Islands and Hector Ledesma lives in Orlando, police believe they came to the area to "hunt down" the dentist.
She was scheduled to be the star witness against Jose Ledesma, who in 2015 allegedly had used Dr. Ramirez's identity to steal $40,000 from her and her dental practice.
Dr. Ramirez's condition is extremely critical and may prevent her from testifying in the identity theft trial, which was scheduled to start in December. Jose Ledesma faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
