Police say they have the man who raped and killed Sandra Ruiz Beltran and injured her small daughter, and it’s her neighbour. Darrell Grant is an unemployed 22 year old who lives on Gentle Avenue right across from Beltran’s residence which sits at the corner of Meighan and Gentle Avenues. He was picked up yesterday and taken to court this morning where he was slapped with multiple charges for killing 39 year old Ruiz Beltran and injuring her 8 year old daughter.
Grant was charged with one count of murder, one count each of attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm upon her 8 year old daughter; one count of aggravated burglary for entering the home armed with a hammer and stealing a $600 gold chain. Grant who appeared in Court #2 in front of Senior Magistrate Dorothy Flowers was read the five charges but no plea was taken. He was remanded to prison.
But it doesn’t end there. While the Ruiz family prepares to bury their loved one, her 8 year old is still in a critical condition after being struck to the head, and her 13 year old is traumatized after witnessing her mother being raped and bludgeoned to death while she hid in the bathroom for safety.
And who is Darrell Grant? Well, apart from being her neighbour, he has been in the news before. In fact his name recently came up in a murder investigation. That’s because on May 16th, Grant was shot in the leg and hand on Vernon Street. The man accused of doing it is Robert Jones, known as Black, who was murdered on July 17th. Darrel Grant was not implicated in his killing. But that most likely has nothing to do with Sandra Ruiz. Investigators believe that Grant had an obsession of sorts with Ruiz and that may have been what prompted him to go into the house after 10:30 on Sunday night.
