Man arrested after allegedly following girl from school

FREMONT >> A 14-year-old girl was walking home from high school in February, when a man allegedly called out to her. Later that day, a neighbor found a note next to a tree near her home.

“I'm the handsome Latino guy who said hi in the car,” the note read. “Here is my hook up, followed by a phone number.”

The neighbor eventually turned the note over to police, who hatched a ruse: Pose as the girl, talk to the man and see what his intentions were.

When police identified the note's writer as 49-yearold Ruben Ramos of San Jose, they discovered he was labeled a “high risk” sex offender with a 2018 indecent exposure conviction. In conversations with the undercover officer who texted him, Ramos allegedly asked to meet up for various sexual acts and sent the “girl” a picture of his genitals after she told him she was 16 years old.

“I want u to kick it in the car with me for 10 min. but whenever u feel that is good,” one text message allegedly said.

As their conversations progressed, Ramos discussed renting a hotel in Fremont for them, asked for naked pictures of her several times, and told the girl to cut class so they could meet up. He was arrested Feb. 24, after leaving his San Jose home and heading to Fremont for their planned rendezvous, according to Fremont police.

During a police interview, Ramos allegedly told police that a friend named “Drew” had actually hacked and/or stolen his phone and was responsible for talking to the girl. But then investigators informed him that he'd been under police surveillance during some of the conversations.

After that, Ramos allegedly said, “partially it is me, but there was somebody involved, but I'm gonna take the blame for it,” a Fremont police investigator said in court records.

Ramos was charged Feb. 28 with contacting a minor to commit a sex crime and sending harmful material to a minor, both felonies.