Young Magician Murdered in Cold Blood

[Dustin Stinett]

A local Los Angeles news station reported the murder of a 19 year-old magician named Adrian Ramos of Anaheim. The shooting occurred Wednesday night as he was walking home. His friends all commented on his love of magicthe report said that he learned the craft from his fatherand the happiness he brought them through his magic.

The coward who shot hima suspected robberyis still at large.

Rest in peace young man: We all mourn your loss and send our best wishes to your friends and family.

[Magic Newswire]

Young Magician Fatally Shot In Anaheim
Reporting
Suzie Suh ANAHEIM, Calif. (CBS) ―

A young magician was shot and killed while walking on a street in Anaheim Wednesday night, authorities said.

Police believe the killer may have been trying to rob 19-year-old Adrian Ramos.

"We're all still in shock. We want to just wake up and he'll be with us tomorrow. But it's not like that," said Ramos' friend Stephanie Ocampo.

In what neighbors describe as a quiet Anaheim neighborhood, candles lit up memories - messages.

"We're upset, sadso hurt," Ocampo said.

Ramos's friends gathered in grief Thursday.

"Why Adrian? It's justhe's the funniest character we know. And now he's gone. Everyone is showing support respect to his family, " Ocampo said.

Detectives believe robbery was the motive.

Ramos was taking a shortcut through the neighborhood after coming from a friend's house.

Police said he was shot twice near the 1300 block of Kenwood Avenue.

He was less than a mile away from home.

Ramos was taken to the hospital but it was too late.

According to friends, Ramos was an only child who learned magic from his father at a young age.

He even made an appearance on a late night show.

"He was a magician who was embarrassed to show anyone," said a friend who attended Thursday's gathering.

Loved ones said his best magic trick was making those around him smile.

"We had plans for today, plans for tomorrowhad plans for this weekend," Ocampo said. "What can we do now other than just pray for him and pray for his family especially."

Witnesses said they saw a dark older model car, possibility a Honda, speeding away from the crime scene.

Anyone with have any information about the incident, contact the Anaheim Police Department at (714) 765-1900.

[Roger M.]

This is around 3 miles from Disneyland, is it not?

As a relatively frequent visitor to Disneyland, my family and I have gone on lengthy walks throughout Anaheim without ever considering that we were anywhere near where problems like this could happen.
We've never walked as far as the Riverside Freeway, but that area seems relatively affluent......a typical suburban neighborhood, pool in every backyard, nice sidewalks.

Eye opener.

I guess the ugly reality is that it can pretty much happen anywhere these days.

[Richard Kaufman]

Personally, I never leave the resort.

[Roger M.]

A little research turns up the fact that another shooting death took place a few blocks away from this one, that one a few days ago.

In future, I'll be staying within the confines of the resort as well.

[erdnasephile]

My parents lived in Anaheim until just recently. The area that this crime took place in is not one I would describe as affluent. Not the very worst part of town mind you, but certainly not fitting the image most have of the OC.

That said, I wouldn't be afraid to leave the resort--those of us who lived and worked in the area traveled freely, went out, ate, etc. around that area all the time. Just ask the locals where to go, use some common sense, don't travel on foot/alone, and pay attention to your surroundings.

Otherwise, you'll miss out on a lot of great experiences, and the criminals win.

[absoulute]

dang

[David Alexander]

The LA Times website is reporting that police have arrested three suspects in the shooting: two 20-year-old males and a 15-year-old male. It was a robbery.

According to the story Adrian Ramos had performed at the Magic Castle when he was nine and later on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was walking home from a class at Fullerton College.

Sad and senseless.

[Magic Newswire]

Three Arrested in the murder of "El Magnifco":
http://bit.ly/9H0nJ5

[houdini's ghost]

I hope the Castle sends flowers.
The kid was a magician--one of our own.

[Ralph Mackintosh]

Nice young man who won the local Orange County magic club youth contest a couple of times.

Anaheim has some nice areas but is generally a relatively poor area of service industry, factory and construction workers homes and industrial areas. It has a large hispanic population and a significant gang problem. The area directly around Disneyland, resort hotels, Angel's stadium and the convention center is kept pretty safe but within a mile or two it can become rough.

[Richard Kaufman]

Between the two Disney parks, Downtown Disney, and the AMC movie theater there, plus The Grand Californian Hotel, I have never felt the urge to leave the resort. They call it the Disney zone.

I feel terrible for the kid and his family. I was robbed of my lunch money two or three times a week in my junior high school (I.S. 61 in Corona, Queens), which was gang infested. You just gave them the money and didn't say anything or move quickly. Between the Latinos and Black gangs, the few white kids, mostly Jews, just kept to themselves and tried to stay out of trouble.

[John Signa]

The area directly around Disneyland, resort hotels, Angel's stadium and the convention center is kept pretty safe but within a mile or two it can become rough.

I can attest to that... still have the scar on my forehead from when I got mugged just 1.5 miles south of Disney.

[Richard Kaufman]

John, how long ago was that?

[John Signa]

Several years ago, around 1995.
Garden Grove was pretty rough city.
When I drove through it during my So Cal trip few weeks ago, looks like it hadn't improved much since then.

[erdnasephile]

It saddens me to hear all of these negative experiences around this area. Nothing worse than hearing about an area you grew up in going to pot. Especially sorry to hear about the murder, and about John's bad experience in GG--we used to attend church right next door to there.

While the area around the Mouse can be rough, it turns out that currently, Anaheim as a whole runs at 0.66 times the national average for violent crime (per capita), which puts it somewhere in the middle of the nearest surrounding cities (Garden Grove 0.72; Fullerton 0.47). (This map shows the location of the shootings mentioned above compared to where Disneyland is http://www.spotcrime.com/ca/anaheim )

Of course, statistics mean nothing when you are looking down the barrel of a gun. I guess one's comfort level in terms of getting around depends on how familiar you are with the lay of the land. It's really too bad that such heinous crimes are going to discourage folks from enjoying the rest of the city and surrounding areas.

The whole thing just stinks.

[David Alexander]

Before I moved to the Mid-west in late 2007 I lived in Garden Grove for five and a half years. We were at the corner of Orangewood and Brookhurst, a couple of miles from Disneyland and just across the border from Anaheim.

The immediate area was relatively low crime but there were parts of Garden Grove I wouldn't have driven through, let alone lived in. Same for Anaheim.

[Richard Kaufman]

What would Walt do ...

[Kevin Connolly]

...Charge Admission.

[Magic Newswire]

There is an article posted on his memorial service which included a broken wand ceremony and photos from his appearances at the Magic Castle and on the Tonight Show at themnw.net