A man has been given life in prison for shooting charges related to domestic violence

A Phoenix man has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting his girlfriend over the phone in 2022 while she was on the phone at a domestic violence shelter with her children present.

Jermaine Lamar Houston, 40, received a life sentence on AUG. 22, 2022, the shooting death of 36-year-old Agal Monique Ramos, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced on Oct. 17.

The County Attorney’s Office said Houston was convicted of four felony counts:

• one count of first degree murder, a class 1 felony aggravated assault and a charge of domestic violence

• one count of kidnapping, a Class 2 Felony and a domestic assault charge

• Two counts of aggravated assault, a class 3 felony and a domestic violence felony

• Two counts of disorderly conduct involving a weapon, a class 4 felony

Houston shot Ramos after police arrived, though he was initially prompted by a friend of the victim who was in an apartment near Glendale Avenues, according to court documents. Houston had pulled a gun on Ramos, but a friend assured him that he would hold him and was talking to him on the patio when Houston saw the police approaching. At that point, he went back inside and shot Ramos, according to the documents.

Officers, who responded to reports of gunshot threats, heard multiple gunshots coming from inside the apartment, the city attorney’s office said.

Ramos was in line with the shelter as he was packing his belongings when Houston opened fire, court documents said. Her four children escaped the apartment unharmed, the city attorney’s office said. He would later be pronounced dead at the hospital, the documents said.

Houston had pulled a gun on Ramos, a witness told police, according to court documents. Witnesses told police that Houston was controlling, jealous and had a history of domestic violence, court documents said.

Ramos was having dinner with his children at the apartment when, at some point, Houston grabbed him by the neck and put a handgun to his head, according to federal documents.

After the shooting, Houston fled to a chicken coop before being arrested, the documents state.

“Violence in villages destroys families instantly. Many times, children are left to bear the grief of what they have seen,” said survivors of Mitchell’s lawyers.

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Houston was found guilty of the crime in August, according to court records.

FOX 10 Phoenix reported that Ramos was the domestic violence case manager who went by Kelly.

New Leaf, a Phoenix-area organization focused on domestic and domestic violence, said Aug. 21 Post on Facebook that “Kelly Ramos” had been working there for four years when he was killed on Aug. 22, 2022.

The post said he was the manager of DVstop’s new leaf program, which places victims of domestic violence in short-term placements at Maricopa’s overflow shelters.

“She was a trusted person, a compassionate advocate, and a devoted Mother of four,” read a post by a new leaf. “His dedication to serving the Phoenix community was matched by his kindness and concern for others.”

Resources for Arizonans dealing with domestic violence include:

This article originally appeared in the Arizona Republic: Phoenix man sentenced to life in prison for slaying of girlfriend 2022