Dezmen Jones

Dezmen Anthony Jones, a 15-year-old Black youth from York, Pennsylvania, was known for his quiet, laid-back nature and a deep love for his family, friends, and bicycles. A freshman at William Penn Senior High School, Dezmen, or "Dez" as he was known, was a talented bike rider who could often be seen popping wheelies and teaching tricks to younger children. He was an active member of the 'Pedal 4 Peace' group, which brought people together through a shared passion for cycling. Dezmen was a helpful and sweet young man who aspired to become a master mechanic and planned to enroll at the York County School of Technology to pursue his dream. He was remembered by loved ones as a phenomenal and amazing person, someone you might only meet once or twice in a lifetime.

On the evening of September 26, 2018, Dezmen’s future was stolen from him. Around 8:15 p.m., gunfire erupted in the 600 block of West Princess Street. Police were called to the scene and found Dezmen injured in a carport, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to York Hospital but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead just before 9 p.m. The York County Coroner's Office later confirmed he died from a gunshot wound to the torso. Also killed in the shooting was 28-year-old Jameel Robert Murray, who was found deceased in the backyard of a residence on the same block. Neither Dezmen nor Murray lived at the home where the shooting occurred.

The York City Police Department launched a double homicide investigation. Detectives soon identified 16-year-old Luis Joshua Vicente-Ramirez as the suspect in the killings. According to police, the shooting stemmed from an argument, and Vicente-Ramirez was accused of shooting both Murray and Dezmen. An arrest warrant was issued on September 28, 2018, and a search began, with police warning that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force joined the search for the teen fugitive.

On October 16, 2018, just before 5 p.m., members of the York City Police Department arrested Luis Joshua Vicente-Ramirez on the 300 block of East Cottage Place. He was taken into custody without incident. Vicente-Ramirez was charged as an adult with two counts of criminal homicide, carrying a firearm without a license, and illegal possession of a firearm by a minor. Subsequent court records show that in March 2020, Vicente-Ramirez pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder. He was sentenced to serve 22 to 55 years in state prison for the deaths of Dezmen Jones and Jameel Murray.

In the days and weeks following the tragedy, Dezmen’s family and the York community mourned his senseless death. His mother, Kecia Hill, remembered her son as a good kid with his whole life ahead of him and made a plea for an end to the gun violence that was destroying children's futures. His father, Anthony Jones, recalled his son's love for children and his passion for bikes, a skill he developed far beyond his own. Friends and fellow riders gathered for a vigil in the alley where Dezmen was shot, lighting candles, writing messages on balloons, and popping wheelies in his honor. The 'Pedal 4 Peace' group dedicated its annual ride against violence to Dezmen's memory.

The case is now closed, with the perpetrator tried and sentenced for the murders. For Dezmen's family and the York community, the loss remains a painful reminder of a promising young life cut short. His grandmother, Angela Thompson, spoke of the unending pain and the feeling that her family would be changed forever by the awful phone call she received that night. The memory of Dezmen Jones lives on through his family and the many lives he touched in his short time.