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DECATUR, GA—The case against a 16-year-old charged with murder in the death of a MARTA bus driver in January will be prosecuted in DeKalb County Juvenile Court.
According to the investigation, three juveniles, ages 16, 16, and 14, were involved in an argument with MARTA bus driver Leroy Ramos, 47, at the Decatur Station on the evening of Jan. 3, 2025. The disagreement continued off the bus, where it escalated to a physical altercation. One of the 16-year-olds pulled out a gun and fired several shots, hitting and killing Ramos.
After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the case, including video evidence, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston met with Ramos’ family this week to explain her decision and what they can expect as the case moves forward.
The case is assigned to the office’s SB440 Unit, which handles cases that involve juvenile suspects. Senate Bill 440, also known as the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 1994, stated that juveniles 13 to 16 years old can be treated as adults if they are accused of murder, murder in the second degree, voluntary manslaughter, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm on a public safety officer, or aggravated battery on a public safety officer.
The decision whether to prosecute a teenage defendant charged with an SB440 crime as an adult or as a juvenile is at the discretion of the prosecution office.
The Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney dismissed the charges against the other two teens who were initially arrested in connection with the case after determining they did not participate in the shooting.
The District Attorney’s Office recognizes there has been significant public interest in this case, however by law, Juvenile Court proceedings are not public, and the records associated with this case, including the name of the defendant, cannot be released. Due to the classification of this case as a Juvenile matter, this will conclude any further communication from the District Attorney’s Office on this case.