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Crime & Safety

Easton Man Charged in Stabbing

Police say West Ward resident Fernando Ortiz-Ruiz stabbed man in chest during a fight.

A 57-year-old resident of Easton's West Ward has been charged with stabbing a man early Friday outside a city bar a block from the suspect’s home, and it was the victim’s girlfriend who led to the suspect.

The victim, meanwhile, collapsed in a yard about eight blocks away in Wilson with a one-inch puncture wound in the upper left chest area that caused a collapsed lung, police said.

The suspect, Fernando Ortiz-Ruiz of 1135 Butler St., was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person for the 12:19am incident outside Louie’s Café, 1031 Butler St.

The victim, Carmello Rivera-Ramos – no age or address listed in court records – was taken to a St. Luke's Hospital. A patient information employee at the Fountain Hill campus said late Friday afternoon Rivera-Ramos was not listed as a patient at any St. Luke's facilities.

A criminal complaint filed by Easton Patrolman Jamie Luise said Easton units were requested by Wilson police to respond to the 300 block of S. 17th Street in the borough for a report of a stabbing.

Luise talked to Rivera-Ramos’ girlfriend, who said her boyfriend was stabbed outside Louie's Café.

The victim, meanwhile, had been at the S. 17th Street scene and had left, but returned by the time Luise arrived. He collapsed in a nearby yard, was having trouble breathing, had the one-inch puncture wound and a large amount of blood on his body and clothing, Luise said in the complaint.

The girlfriend told police she was with her boyfriend when he was stabbed and that she knows who did it – Fernando Ortiz-Ruiz of 1135 Butler St.

When police arrived at his home, Ortiz-Ruiz "admitted there was an altercation outside the bar," the complaint says. Police conducted a drive-by with the girlfriend that resulted in a “positive identification” of Ortiz-Ruiz as the alleged stabber, the complaint says.

Oritz-Ruiz was arraigned at 4:20am. Friday by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton. He was committed to after failing to post $75,000 bail.

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