A man accused in a deadly 2023 shooting at a Federal Way bar was captured in Mexico just 73 minutes after being added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, was taken into custody around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 10, in Culiacán, Mexico, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Ramirez had been added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list only one hour and 13 minutes earlier, making his capture the quickest in the list’s history, officials said.
The previous record dated back to 1969, when fugitive Billie Austin Bryant was arrested two hours after being added to the list.
Ramirez is accused of killing two women during a shooting at Stars Bar and Grill in Federal Way on May 21, 2023. A third person was injured in the gunfire.
The victims were identified by police as Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke.
Investigators say Ramirez fled Washington after the shooting and was believed to have left the country.
King County prosecutors previously charged Ramirez with first- and- second-degree murder, and attempted murder.
Federal officials said public tips helped investigators quickly determine Ramirez’s location after he was added to the Ten Most Wanted list.
“Samuel Ramirez Jr.’s apprehension is a direct result of the FBI’s relentless pursuit of justice for victims and their families,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
“There is no border, no amount of time, and no place to hide from the full force of the FBI and its partners.”
Ramirez, a US citizen from Federal Way, was deported from Mexico to the United States and returned to Washington state Wednesday night, March 11. He will face prosecution in King County Superior Court.
“This arrest is an important step toward justice for the victims, Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke, and toward bringing some measure of closure to their families and our community,” said Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang.
Authorities had previously offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Ramirez’s arrest and conviction. On Tuesday, the FBI raised the reward to as much as $1 million, making Ramirez the first fugitive added to the list under the bureau’s new standard reward amount.
The FBI said Mexican law enforcement agencies and federal partners assisted in the arrest.
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