GOSHEN — An updated release by the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office and Goshen Police Department say the shootings of Jose Nava Orazco, 27, and Marco Antonio Carmona Gonzalez, 43, Goshen, early Sunday, March 13, appear to be motivated by gang violence.

Diego Ramos

Within one week of the murders, Goshen Police arrested Diego Armando Ramos, 22, Elkhart and Luis Alberto Rivas, 18, Goshen. Information released by authorities state Ramos was arrested at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, at 2790 College Ave., Goshen, and Rivas was arrested at 10:30 p.m. at 220 W. Wilden Ave. that same day.

Numerous witnesses have come forward and identified the two individuals that had possession of the weapon believed to be used in the murder, namely Ramos and Rivas,

Further evidence demonstrates that Rivas’ cellular phone was utilized to search the internet for images of Jose Nava, and Blanca Nava, Jose’s sister, approximately 20 minutes before the murders. Less than 30 minutes after the murders, Ramos advised his mother that Nava was dead, well before the identities of the victims had been released to the public by police.

During the investigation, several casings and bullets were recovered from the scene of the murder, Ramos’ home, and Ramos’ vehicle. After forensic analysis of the casings from each of these locations, it was determined they had all been fired from the same weapon. In addition, casings from an unrelated event in October, 2015, in which Ramos was observed by multiple witnesses firing a weapon were also forensically examined and found to have been fired from the same weapon that had fired the casings found at Ramos’ residence, in his vehicle and at the scene of the murder.

Luis Rivas

Both Ramos and Rivas provided statements to law enforcement officers denying any involvement in the murders; however, much of the information provided was specifically contradicted by other information gathered during the investigation. In addition, although the two initially denied knowing each other at all, Ramos eventually disclosed that he did know Rivas, and that Rivas had spent the night with him the night of the murders.
Once formal charges are filed by the Prosecuting Attorney, the case will proceed through the normal adversarial pre-trial process to ensure the rights of the Defendants are protected.

Probable cause for the crime of murder was established against both Ramos and Rivas on Friday, March 18, when a Judicial Officer reviewed facts and circumstances of the case. No bond was set for Ramos or Rivas at that time, pending further review. An initial hearing will be held in the Elkhart Circuit Court at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, March 24. A formal charging decision will be made by the Prosecuting Attorney on or before Wednesday of next week.

Although numerous law enforcement officers from multiple agencies have dedicated significant resources toward this investigation, it is ongoing. Accordingly, other than the information in the publicly accessible redacted Affidavit for Probable Cause, filed today in Superior Court 1, many details will remain confidential until further proceedings or a trial is had with respect to each suspect.