Bail set at $250K for Aurora man charged with firing at vehicle

An Aurora man who served prison time for a 2003 attempted murder has been accused of shooting at a squad car on the city's near east side.

Andres Ramirez, 46, of the 700 block of Second Avenue, is charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a vehicle occupied with an officer, firefighter or corrections officer, aggravated discharge of a firearm, armed violence, possession of a firearm by a felon and criminal damage to property, according to Kane County court records.

Aurora Police spokesman Paris Lewbel said the charges stem from an incident at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday near Claim and High streets on the city's near east side.

An officer responded to the area for a call of shots fired, and while at the scene, had his own vehicle shot at, Lewbel said.

"During the investigation, detectives reviewed the squad's in-car camera system and nearby surveillance cameras and confirmed the suspect was, in fact, shooting at the squad car," Lewbel wrote in an email.

No injuries were reported.

Ramirez was charged Saturday and is being held at the Kane County jail on $250,000 bail, meaning he must post $25,000 in order to be released while the case is pending.

It isn't the first shooting in which Ramirez has faced charges.

According to Kane County court records, he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and other felonies in April 2003.

Ramirez, whom prosecutors said was a gang member, eventually pleaded guilty in January 2007 on the eve of trial to attempted first-degree murder and was sentenced to 16½ years in prison for firing 27 rounds at an Aurora woman whose grandson was in a rival gang, court records show.

The woman was hit three times, and one round broke her left leg. Under state law, Ramirez was required to serve 85%, or about 14 years of the sentence, instead of the customary 50% for many crimes.

Ramirez is next due in court April 22. If convicted of the most severe charges, he faces up to 45 years in prison.