TWO HELD IN WEEKEND HOMICIDES March 10, 2008 Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced that two men charged in unrelated homicides on Friday and Sunday are in custody, with one held without bail and the other sent for an evaluation of his competency to stand trial. JUAN RAMIREZ, 25 (D.O.B. 9/9/82) of Boston’s South End was charged in Roxbury District Court this morning with the murder Friday of 37-year-old Yiovany Gazmey. Assistant District Attorney Masai King recommended that Ramirez be held without bail; Judge Edward Redd granted that recommendation and ordered Ramirez to return to court on April 8. Arraigned with Ramirez was AIDA RODRIGUEZ, 29 (D.O.B. 2/16/79), charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on Gazmey’s 44-year-old female associate during the same incident. She will return to court on April 8 as well. Evidence suggests that Ramirez and Rodriguez became involved in a physical altercation with Gazmey and Gazmey’s female associate near the intersection of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Washington Street Friday afternoon. In the course of that altercation, prosecutors allege, Ramirez stabbed Gazmey multiple times causing injuries that ultimately claimed his life. For her part, Rodriguez allegedly attacked the female victim with a blunt object, causing minor injuries. Boston Police responded quickly to the scene, taking both defendants into custody on board an MBTA bus; Suffolk prosecutors approved warrants for their arrests later that evening. In Dorchester District Court this morning, JOSE A. TORRES, 26 (D.O.B. 11/13/81), was scheduled for arraignment in connection with the Sunday morning stabbing death of 29-year-old Melissa Santiago in her Dorchester apartment. Instead, as a result of an interview with a court clinician, Torres was sent for a 20-day evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital. Torres will be evaluated for his competency to stand trial and is expected to be arraigned on March 28. Evidence suggests that Torres stabbed Santiago, with whom he had had an intimate relationship, multiple times inside her Washington Street residence shortly after 11:00 a.m. Responding Boston Police took statements indicating that Torres was responsible and froze the residence pending a search warrant that was executed today. Police located Torres shortly thereafter and took him into custody; Suffolk prosecutors approved a warrant for his arrest on murder charges late yesterday. Ramirez is represented by attorney James Greenberg, Rodriguez by attorney Kernahan Buck, and Torres by attorney Jeffrey Karp. Return to the Press Releases page.