Man sentenced to 55 years in prison for 2023 East Side murder

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A man was sentenced to over half a century of prison time for a 2023 East Side murder, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

A jury sentenced Ruben Ramirez to 55 years in prison for shooting and killing San Juan Melchor.

In April 2023, Melchor was visiting a home on the East Side of San Antonio when he was confronted by Ramirez, according to the district attorney’s office.

Ramirez fired a fatal gunshot to Melchor’s chest and was arrested more than a year later. He was found to be in illegal possession of a firearm in May 2025.

The district attorney’s office said Ramirez admitted to shooting Melchor but claimed self-defense. The jury dismissed his argument.

This is Ramirez’s third time in prison, according to the district attorney’s office.

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