California requests compassionate release for Madera County ‘sadistic pedophile’

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – An infamous, decades-old sexual assault case returned to a Madera County courtroom Monday.

Ramiro Ruiz is serving a life sentence for crimes against his own children. Now, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is requesting his compassionate release.

“This guy was clearly a monster then, and he’s a monster now,” prosecuting Attorney Eric DuTemple said. “I think that he was best described in the probation court when he was sentenced that he is a sadistic pedophile.”

Ruiz is 86 years old now, but 28 years ago, he was sentenced to 85 years to life in prison for repeatedly raping, sodomizing, drugging, and chaining up his children.

They ranged between 5 and 15 years old, and one of them was developmentally disabled.

“The decision the court has to make is the defendant is still capable of committing super strikes and is he an unreasonable risk to the public if we release him out of CDCR custody,” DuTemple posed.

Ruiz is formally diagnosed with pedophilic disorder and sexual sadism disorder.

On Oct. 1, the CDCR filed a request for his compassionate release from prison, saying his old age and dementia remove him as a threat to society.

Judge Dale Blea presided over Monday’s hearing and said Ruiz has always suffered from disabilities, and that did not prevent him from committing the crimes before.

“Twenty-eight years after his conviction, the defendant continues to deny that he committed these crimes… He’s indicated that he will refuse to register as a sex offender if he’s released from custody,” Blea added.

Ruiz was not present in court Monday. His defense attorney, Aaron Montoya, said his death is imminent.

“It’s not so much whether he’s malingering, but whether he’s about to pass away,” Montoya said.

He asked the judge for permission to re-file if Monday’s compassionate release was denied.

Judge Blea said there was nothing on record stating they could not re-file in the future.

“This was probably one of the most heinous sex crimes I have seen in my 20-plus years as a prosecutor,” Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno said. “He does have an advanced age – I believe he’s 86, but that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of maneuvering or manipulating a two or three or four-year-old child up onto his lap where he could inflict all kinds of horrible damage.”

Moreno says she is against compassionate release laws as a whole.

“People were sentenced for their crimes, they were sentenced by judges and juries, and victims were given assurances that this is the amount of time this defendant would serve,” Moreno said.

The CDCR report argued in court that Ruiz has behaved while in prison. Judge Blea responded, saying there are no children to assault in prison.

Therefore, in the interest of public safety, Blea said, “the motion for compassionate release is denied.”