Immigrant-beating case leaves Schuylkill County town tense

[The Straight Story]

Immigrant-beating case leaves Schuylkill County town tense

The mood in Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, is not pretty.

A 12-member jury on May 1 cleared two white teenagers of the most serious charges lodged against them after the beating death of Luis Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

But a review of the case is underway involving the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI. A spokesman for the department said action would be taken if a review of the evidence uncovered "prosecutable violation of federal criminal civil rights statutes."

Ramirez died 30 hours after he was beaten and kicked in the head during a fight near West Lloyd and Vine streets on July 12. After the death, Brandon Piekarsky, 17, was charged with third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation. Derrick Donchak, 19, was charged with aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation. The jury found each man guilty of simple assault and acquitted them of the more serious charges.

Racial tension and the integrity of law enforcement are hot topics in the borough of 5,600.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Kicking someone in the head is simple assault?

That's nuts.

[AlphaCentauri]

3. the worst part is that the victim was laying unconsciense on the street when he was kick

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. My son was assaulted in Feb

The guy kicked him in the head too. The doctors said it was a miracle he didn't have a concussion.

Now he just has a big hospital bill.

And the guy who kicked him was on probation for another crime. They revoked his probation and he is going back to prison. So the prosecutor declined to press charges. Unreal.

[MADem]

2. Good. I predicted this would be the next step. I'm glad they're not letting this go. NT