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Sep 9, 2025

Six suspects here illegally from Guatemala arrested after man killed in hit-and-run

Media Contact: Carrie Horstman, Media Relations Administrator

Polk County Sheriff's deputies arrested six suspects who are in the country illegally from Guatemala after being called to the Willow Oak Mobile Home Park to investigate a death and discovering that the victim had been fatally struck by a vehicle then dragged inside his home and left there.

The investigation began during the early morning hours of Sunday, September 7, 2025, when the PCSO received a 911 call reporting the 21-year-old man's death. The caller relayed to call takers that the man was dead inside his home. When deputies and detectives arrived they quickly realized that the victim's injuries were consistent with being run over by a vehicle, and they summoned the PCSO Traffic Unit to conduct an investigation.

Traffic Homicide detectives learned that a large party had taken place outside one of the trailers inside the mobile home park on Saturday evening. Nearly everyone at the party was consuming alcohol. A witness told detectives that the victim was lying down on the driveway. The witness saw 52-year-old Ponciano Cinto-Ramirez get into a van that was parked on the driveway, put it into reverse, and back over the victim, before leaving the scene. People at the party yelled at Cinto-Ramirez that he had run over the man but Cinto-Ramirez continued to drive away, then parked outside lot #32 and went inside. 

When deputies went to lot #32 there were several people inside, all of whom refused to come out. Eventually, one by one, they came outside but refused to give deputies information or cooperate. Two of the men who came outside gave false IDs to the deputies. Once deputies had everyone in custody and interviewed, they learned all six of the suspects are in the country illegally from Guatemala. The following arrests were made, and all of the charges are enhanced due to their illegal statuses:

Ponciano Cinto-Ramirez, DOB 5/24/1973, charged with:
Leaving the scene of crash involving death (F1)
Driving without a license causing death (F2)
Resisting arrest (F3)

Alfredo Cinto-Ramirez, DOB 12/5/1976, charged with:
Resisting arrest (F3)
Giving false info to LEO (F3)

Rigoberto Lopez Morales, DOB 10/1/2002, charged with:
Resisting arrest (F3)

Jacinto Lopez Morales, DOB 8/23/1979, charged with:
Resisting arrest (F3)

Leonel Cinto Lopez, DOB 7/12/2001, charged with:
Resisting arrest (F3)
Giving false info to LEO (F3)

Ramiro Cinto Lopez, DOB 7/26/2002, charged with:
Resisting arrest (F3)
Giving false info to LEO (F3)
Possession of altered firearm (F3)

"All of these suspects are facing serious felonies, and ICE has placed holds on them as well to hopefully deport them back to Guatemala. What started out as a neighborhood party ended up with a 21-year-old man dead and a group of illegal aliens going to jail." - Grady Judd, Sheriff