TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A man accused of shooting and killing another man on his east Toledo porch plead not guilty to voluntary manslaughter Wednesday.
Police say Ramiro Ramirez shot and killed 62-year-old Dale Delauter back in April on Star Avenue.
Flowers have now been hung in place of the bullet holes that mark where Delauter lost his life.
"I wouldn't wish this on anybody, because in the blink of an eye you lost someone that was loved very dearly," said Melissa McCloskey, Delauter's girlfriend.
She says Delauter was a father and grandfather. Her last moments with him on April 6 still haunt her.
"There was a big crowd and they were rowdy," said McCloskey.
She says they were returning home from dinner when the group, just leaving this bowling alley, started yelling at them. They then crossed the street and things quickly escalated.
"That is when Dale went and got his shot gun and stood outside the door, protecting both of us and his property," said McCloskey.
That's when the gun fire began. McCloskey says police tested Dale's gun and it was never fired, but Dale was shot several times.
"Him crawling on the floor toward me and saying my name twice and I had to hurry and call 911 and I didn't want to touch him or move him. I didn't know what to do or where, it was just a mess," said McCloskey.
Police say Ramirez was the triggerman, but he was not charged with murder. Instead he was charged with voluntary manslaughter, still a first degree felony, but with a lesser punishment.
Police deemed the crime to be a case of self-defense, a murder that happened in a moment of passion or rage.
"He had a choice. He got out of the car and did what he did. That is a crime. That is murder," said McCloskey.
