A Garland confrontation on May 3 left 30-year-old Jose Ramirez dead after a desperate carjacking attempt near Highway 66 and Dairy Road, and Garland Police confirm Ramirez was a Mexican national not living in Garland. Surveillance footage and witness accounts, including comments from Tatiana Starks and Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau, show a chaotic scene where a father defended his family of eight. The episode began with Ramirez striking multiple vehicles and escalated into a violent struggle that ended when the father shot Ramirez during the attack.
Garland police identified the suspect as Jose Ramirez and say the incident involved multiple attempts to steal vehicles by force before the confrontation at Dairy Road. Officers reported Ramirez crashed into two other cars and moved through a nearby shopping center area, where bystanders later described seeing him break into vehicles at a gas station. Investigators describe the sequence as rapid and violent, with the family-targeted attack captured on surveillance video.
Surveillance footage shows Ramirez lunging at the family’s vehicle and engaging in a struggle with the father while several family members were still inside the car. At some point during that altercation the father fired at Ramirez, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. A majority of the family members were inside the car when Ramirez tried to steal it, and the shooting unfolded in a matter of seconds as the father tried to protect his children and the rest of his family.
Tatiana Starks, who manages Garland Smoke and Vape near the scene, told reporters she observed Ramirez acting erratically before the shooting. “You could definitely tell that he was not in his right state of mind,” she said, adding, “I’m just glad that the man was able to protect himself and his family.” Her account lines up with video showing a frantic attempt to force entry and a quick, violent struggle that alarmed nearby residents and workers.
Garland Police say the father cooperated with investigators and that, based on what officers have seen, they do not expect to file charges against him. “It seemed to be self-defense,” said Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau. “It kind of all happened really fast,” he added, underscoring how sudden the attack was and why the father told authorities he acted to stop an immediate threat.
Witnesses and police both emphasize that the family walked away without physical injuries, a detail neighbors described as a relief amid the shock of seeing a carjacking escalate to a fatal shooting. “It’s just a blessing that the kids and the family walked away with no injuries,” Starks said. The Garland Police Department continues to piece together the timeline, gather forensic evidence, and review video to finalize the investigative record while explaining that Ramirez was not a resident of Garland and was not a U.S. citizen.
