Salvadoran newspaper articles are reporting that Anibal Ramirez, the Salvadoran native who died Sunday in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was a veteran of the war in Iraq.
An article posted at elsalvador.com, stated that Ramirez fought in Najaf under the Salvadoran flag in 2004, and served again in Iraq in 2008.
El Salvador was among the coalition of countries fighting alongside United States forces in Iraq.
According to the Virginia State Police, Ramirez of Dale City was arrested at 9:36 p.m. Sept. 26 for refusing to sign a summons to appear in court after police found him walking barefoot on Interstate 66 at the 36 mile marker.
Police called rescue units to the scene to treat Ramirez’s injured feet and then took him into custody, said state police spokeswoman Deborah Cox.
Ramirez, who police say was in the United States illegally, was held at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Jail until he was taken into custody by ICE on Sept. 27.
ICE transferred Ramirez to the Farmville Detention Center, where he was found unconscious on the floor of his cell Oct. 1.
Ramirez was taken by ambulance to Southside Community Hospital and later to flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville where he died.
Senior reporter Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.
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