Mug shot of suspected Bensalem apartment complex murderer released

Abel Mendoza-Ramirez, 31, who lives at the Bucks Meadows Apartments on Knights Road, was arguing with the victim, Jose Miguel Tenorio-Ruiz, 40, near the rear parking lot around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, when he went to his car, got a gun and shot him, Bensalem police said.

Police found Tenorio-Ruiz lying near the parking lot with a gunshot wound to his upper body and began life-saving measures until emergency services arrived.

The victim was transported by Bensalem EMS to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Mendoza-Ramirez has since been identified as the suspect after interviewing witnesses. Witnesses said the suspect and the victim had a physical altercation before Mendoza-Ramirez went to his car and got a gun. When he returned, he shot the victim twice. When the victim tried to take the gun from him, Mendoza-Ramirez shot him again, which police say was fatal.

Mendoza-Ramirez then got into his Ford van and fled the scene. The description of the suspect and his vehicle was sent to surrounding police departments and the vehicle registration was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as a felon vehicle whose driver was possibly armed and dangerous.

Less than an hour later, a Newton Township police officer spotted the Ford van with the matching license plate and conducted a traffic stop at 600 Newtown Yardley Road in front of Newton Cemetery. Mendoza-Ramirez was taken into custody without incident and charged with manslaughter, first-degree murder, first-degree murder and possession of a murder weapon.

He was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Falcone and remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail.

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