Sonoma County Jail Inmate Accused In Hairbrush Stabbing

SANTA ROSA, CA — A Sonoma County Jail inmate stabbed another inmate Tuesday afternoon with a hairbrush that was filed down to a point, a sheriff's sergeant said. A corrections deputy who saw the 4:15 p.m. fight in the exercise yard of a protective custody module was able to break up the fight between inmate Bernabe Martinez Ramirez, 26, and another inmate while he was waiting for backup deputies to arrive, Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

Ramirez repeatedly stabbed the other inmate in the face and body with the pointed hairbrush until he was handcuffed when the other deputies arrived, Crum said.

The victim inmate was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for treatment of multiple stab wounds and returned to the jail around 11:30 p.m., Crum said.

Santa Rosa police arrested Ramirez in June for DUI, child endangerment and battery on a police officer after he crashed his Dodge Intrepid into a traffic signal pole in Santa Rosa.

A woman and a 6-month-old infant were in the vehicle at the time of the crash, and Ramirez tried to take the police officer's gun from its holster, according to Santa Rosa police.

Ramirez has been in custody at the jail since then and the stabbing victim has been in custody since Feb. 1 on child molestation charges. Both inmates have been housed together since Feb. 6, Crum said.

Inmates are housed in a protective custody module if they don't mix with the general jail population because of their charges, gang status or are likely targets of other inmates, he said.

Investigators do not know what prompted the attack, and Ramirez was re-arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of a weapon in jail, Crum said.

By Bay City News Service

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