Cassa Niedringhaus

cniedringhaus@coloradoan.com

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THURSDAY UPDATE: Suspect in beating case faces attempted murder charge

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A Fort Collins man was allegedly attacked Friday night by a man who left him with multiple facial fractures, a broken nose and bruising.



Shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, Fort Collins police responded to a central Fort Collins home where they found a "large amount of blood" and Fort Collins man Vincent Omar Ramirez, who was sitting on his bed with a long sword lying next to him, according to the arrest affidavit for Ramirez.

Ramirez, 25, was arrested in connection with the crime on suspicion of second-degree assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a Class 4 felony, and felony menacing.

About the same police arrested Ramirez Saturday, officers responded to Poudre Valley Hospital where they found Fort Collins resident Steven Loranger, who told police he'd been assaulted by Ramirez at the home in question.

Loranger told police that Ramirez had intended to assault him with the sword when he escaped the house.

The suspect’s arrest affidavit was not available as of late Monday afternoon, and the Coloradoan obtained the document early Tuesday morning.

Loranger told the Coloradoan on Sunday that the pair were friends and had visited several Old Town bars with a group of friends Friday night prior to the alleged assault.

They took photos in the photo booth at Pour Brothers and made their way to Yeti Bar and Grill, where Loranger said Ramirez seemed to become sad and isolated himself from the group. They visited a third bar and stayed briefly before the two took an Uber back to Ramirez’s house, where Ramirez allegedly attacked Loranger.

They had a conversation at Ramirez’s home, which Loranger said he cannot fully recollect. He said he was struck by a blow in the back of the head, which he said he thinks momentarily knocked him unconscious.

“It appears that whatever I had said at some point that night just set him off,” Loranger said.

He then remembers getting up on his hands and knees in a pool of his own blood, with Ramirez’s hands around his neck choking him, he said.

“There was a ton of blood, just so much blood,” he said.

Loranger said, Ramirez got up and said he was going to get his sword. At that point, Loranger ran to the front door, which required a key lock to open, so he ran out the back door.

When he was running through the dark, Loranger said he fell into a window well and then crouched inside to hide. He said he didn’t call 911 because he didn’t want Ramirez to hear his voice and he couldn’t recall the house’s address.

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He instead used his Uber app to hail a driver. He was covered in blood and told the driver he wanted to go home, but the Uber driver took him to the hospital, he said.

A GoFundMe page established for Loranger alleges the crime occurred because he is gay and because he has a close friendship with the woman whom the alleged attacker had a romantic interest. The site has raised more than $16,000 as of Tuesday morning.

Loranger said police told him he mentioned a conversation with Ramirez on Friday night regarding his sexuality and his interest in the woman when police contacted Loranger at the hospital, though he doesn't remember this conversation due to his head injuries.

A Fort Collins Police Services spokeswoman said the department takes bias-motivated crimes seriously and is reviewing the case to determine if a bias motivation charge would be applicable. Per state statute, a person commits a bias-motivated crime when they knowingly cause bodily injury, use words or conduct, or destroy property with the intent to intimidate a person because of that person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.

The woman in question, Paige Christensen, told the Coloradoan that Ramirez has had feelings for her throughout their friendship but had lately become more pushy and jealous. She said he has slapped her and taken her keys away when she has not reciprocated feelings.

She said that when she, Loranger and Ramirez were spending time together on Friday, Ramirez asked her why she seemed so much happier around Loranger than around him.

She and Loranger had been dancing and singing together and telling jokes about getting married.

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Ramirez has been released from jail on $7,500 bond. He is due in court for a first appearance Jan. 31. Formal charges have not yet been filed, and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident who has not spoken to police yet is encouraged to call the FCPS non-emergency line, 970-221-6540.