Three cohorts face charges that they lured a Santa Clara teen into a violent ambush, dragged him into the street, beat him with a gun, shot him in the thigh, and aimed the weapon at onlookers.
All three were arrested separately this week by Santa Clara Police, who also found the handgun in some bushes.
Facing premeditated attempted murder, kidnapping and other charges are 26-year-old Manuel Ayala of San Jose, 28-year-old Ralph Hamby of Milpitas, and 26-year-old Crystal Pajimola of Mountain House.
Pajimola is being held on on a no bail release along with Ayala and Hamby. Due to the seriousness of the charges, it is expected that if convicted, they could face life in prison for the cold and calculated way in which they had planned to hurt the young teen.
“This was an extremely violent attack that left one young person badly hurt and a neighborhood shaken,” said prosecutor Carolyn Malinsky. “Our thanks go out to the Santa Clara Police Department, who quickly identified these dangerous defendants and brought them into custody.”
According to the District Attorney’s Office, on Monday, March 2 just before midnight, Pajimola called a 15-year-old busboy that she worked with and asked to meet him. Records reveal that when he walked outside of his apartment, Hamby attacked the teen as Pajimola stood by. She watched as Hamby struck the victim on the head with a handgun, demanded money and dragged him into the street. The teen victim pleaded with Hamby not to hurt him. However it was then that Hamby fired three shots at the victim, striking him in his thigh bone, shattering it.
Witnesses from a nearby apartment watched as Hamby attacked the young victim. Noticing that others had gathered nearby, he pointed the still loaded gun and fired at two witnesses near the victim’s apartment. Hamby then fled the scene in a car with Pajimola. Witnesses were able to identify that Ayala drove away from the scene with Hamby. The victim survived the shooting, however he now has metal rod implanted in his leg.
Ralph Hamby has a long history of arrests, according to available records. On August 22 of last year he was arrested at a home in East San Jose, near the Blanca Alvarado Middle School, on charges of possession of controlled substances and paraphernalia along with a firearm, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On November 24 of 2013 he was arrested at 11 pm for hit and run with property damage, along with driving on a suspended license. And in October that year he was arrested for DUI, while in possession of a controlled substance and drugs packaged for sale.
Records going back even further show numerous arrests since 2005, including possession of marijuana and other drugs, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving with a suspended license, or under the influence. In August 2008 he was charged with assault, and in 2005 he was arrested for theft and petty theft.
If anyone has any further information regarding the current case, they are encouraged to contact Santa Clara Police Detective Sgt. Derek Rush at 408-615-4814.
