William Emilio Torres Gautier, left, and Johana Ramos (Gautier’s mugshot from York County Jail, Ramos’ mugshot from Northern York County Regional Police)
A woman has been arrested for allegedly helping her husband duct tape her mother’s head and face before authorities found the victim’s bound body — strangled and stabbed with scissors — under a pile of clothes on her bedroom floor.
Johana Ramos, 31, was arrested on Friday in the slaying of Lourdes Ramos Baez, 67, according to Northern York County Regional Police. Ramos was booked on charges of criminal homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit criminal homicide into the York County Prison without bond, police said.
Police say she helped her husband, William Emilio Torres Gautier, 42, who was arrested earlier this month. He faces charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault — fear of imminent serious bodily injury, terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, and abuse of a corpse, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Officers responded to a call on June 6 about a disturbance at a home in Dover, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles west of Philadelphia, according to a news release from the Northern York County Regional Police Department.
When police arrived, they found Gautier, his wife, and their two small children in the rear of the home.
While speaking to Gautier, his wife was seen signaling for help, police said.
“The female indicated that her mother was in the home and needed help,” police said.
Police said when they were speaking with the family, Gautier’s wife stood behind him and was seen “mouthing the words ‘help me,’” Lancaster NBC affiliate WGAL-TV reported.
But when police tried to engage with Gautier’s wife, Gautier allegedly became upset and pushed a section of wooden fence at officers, striking one of them, police said.
During the struggle, police say Gautier pushed and spit on an officer, then broke a squad car window and camera system, authorities said.
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He was eventually arrested after a brief struggle, officials said.
Police found the victim face down, under a pile of clothes and other debris on her bedroom floor, the York Daily Record, citing the probable cause affidavit.
“Duct tape covered her eyes and face,” the Daily Record reported. “Coat hangers were wrapped around her neck.”
Her arms had been tied behind her back with clothing, and she appeared to have been repeatedly stabbed in the back with scissors. Her right Achilles tendon had been sliced.
A white substance believed to be salt had been poured over her body, the Record reported.
She suffered blunt force injuries to her head and neck and had been strangled, the York County Coroner’s Office said.
In an interview with investigators, Gautier’s wife said she woke up in the early morning hours to Gautier going “ballistic,” WGAL reported.
She said he kicked in the door to her mom’s bedroom, and she could hear both screaming. The wife grabbed their two young children and went outside as she heard her mother screaming, the report states.
The wife and children reportedly remained outside for several hours. She told police that Gautier told them they were not allowed to return to the house because he was “fixing things” and “using Clorox,” WGAL reported.
The previous evening, he reportedly told his wife that he planned to kill Ramos to “take all of her money,” police wrote in the report.
Her preliminary hearing is set for July 7. His is scheduled for Aug. 1.
Law&Crime’s Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.
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