Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on May 16 that a Bronx man was charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, assault, and other charges for pistol-whipping, beating and starving a teenage brother and sister who were under his care, keeping them locked in their apartment for weeks, and preventing them from attending school for months.

Reacting to the case, Clark said, “The defendant, who was the guardian of the teen siblings, allegedly made their lives a living hell. He allegedly pistol-whipped them and used a belt and a wooden bat, among other objects, to assault them, and deprived them of food.” He added, “His alleged actions against these children are disturbing and sickening. We will obtain justice for the victims, who have suffered horrific trauma but are resilient and brave.”

Clark said the defendant, Michael Ramos, 34, of Burke Avenue, was arraigned on May 16 on four counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree unlawful imprisonment, 14 counts of second-degree assault, seven counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, among other charges, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. Remand was continued and Ramos is due back in court on August 16.

According to the investigation, between Jan. 1, and April 17, the victims, a 14-year-old girl and her 13-year-old brother, were living with Ramos in his apartment in the NYCHA Eastchester Gardens Housing Complex, southeast of Williamsbridge. The apartment initially belonged to the defendant’s mother, who had legally adopted the victims when they were infants. The victims were left in the defendant’s care after his mother died in 2019.

According to the investigation, the defendant, on multiple occasions, allegedly held a loaded pistol to the victims’ heads and said, “Someone is going to die today. Do you want to die today?” and he would pistol-whip them. During that time, the defendant also allegedly beat the victims about the body with a wooden bat, a black tension rod, a belt, and an electrical cord, and also allegedly used his fists. Ramos also allegedly jabbed the children with a fork and burned them with cigarettes. In addition, Ramos allegedly starved the victims, and they did not attend school for months.

Police Officers Kelby Castulo and Ginger Toth-Sipos of the 49th Precinct responded to Ramos’ apartment on April 17, 2023, after a 911 call reporting a commotion. Police recovered a loaded, defaced 9-mm handgun on a table and found the children severely malnourished and bruised. The victims had to be hospitalized for treatment of their injuries and malnutrition.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Rachael Baughman and Christopher Conway of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, with the assistance of Astrid Borgstedt, senior trial counsel in the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Johanna Hernandez, Deputy Chief of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, Mimi Mairs, Chief of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Adrienne Giunta, Deputy Chief of Special Victims Division, and Joseph Muroff, Chief of Special Victims Division.

Clark thanked trial preparation assistant, Elaina Clarke, of the Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Bureau, and BXDA video technician, Andrew Rio, for their significant work on this case. She also thanked NYPD Police Officers Kelby Castulo and Ginger Toth-Sipos, and NYPD Sergeant Anthony Lofaro of the 49th Precinct for their work on the case.

A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

A resident asked why the school had not contacted the parents when the victims did not show up for class. Norwood News contacted NYC Department of Education (DOE) and asked the question. A representative responded, saying, “We cannot comment on cases like this.”

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.