Two charged in killing of student from Hillhouse

NEW HAVEN — Police have charged two men in the killing of Keiron Jones, a 17-year-old James Hillhouse High School student fatally shot last year in the city’s Dixwell neighborhood.

Rodrigo Ramirez, 19, and Kerrell Lee, 21, were charged in connection with the March 20 killing, police said Thursday during a news conference in New Haven.

Ramirez was charged with murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, and carrying a pistol without a permit. Lee was charged with first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery.

Both men were also charged with felony murder, an offense that allows someone to be charged with murder in the event their actions cause the death of a person during the commission of certain crimes, including robbery. The law allows prosecutors to pursue a murder charge against someone even if they didn’t directly kill them.

Ramirez and Lee were held on $2 million bond, police said Thursday.

“It’s just an awful loss for our community,” New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said Thursday, flanked by members of Jones’ family. “I’m sure that the family of Keiron lives this every day. We’re so sorry for your loss and we’re grateful to have you have some justice,” Elicker said.

He described Jones as a good student with “his whole life ahead of him” who enjoyed riding his bike.

Around 8:55 p.m. on March 20, 2022, New Haven officers responded to the 10th block of Orchard Place for a report of a person shot, police said. Jones was found on the ground with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he died the following day.

In his obituary, Jones’ family remembered the teen’s love of his favorite video game, NBA 2K21, and favorite TV show, “Criminal Minds.” He wanted to pursue his passion for science and become a forensic scientist or a marine biologist because “the ocean and its inhabitants intrigue him,” the obituary stated.

Elicker said Jones’ murder was a “complicated case” for detectives.

“We’re grateful for all the work you do every day to ensure the families are able to have some sort of justice with a situation that is hard to make sense of,” he added.