City worker charged with gross lewdness

Thursday, Sept. 16, 1999 | 10:11 a.m.

Metro Police arrested a publicity specialist for the city of Las Vegas Tuesday on a charge of open gross lewdness with a minor under the age of 18.

William "Willie" George Ramirez, 30, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center after being arrested shortly before 3 p.m. at the communication's division office at 749 Veteran's Memorial Drive. He was released later in the day on his own recognizance.

Ramirez, who has worked for the city's Parks and Leisure division since Aug. 9, was suspended without pay following his arrest.

"Typically, we will handle something like this on a case-by-case basis," Rick Anderson, the city's director of Human Resources, said. "We may act further, but right now he's suspended without pay."

Las Vegas City Councilman Mike McDonald, a longtime friend of Ramirez, said that he was shocked to learn of the arrest and had a sleepless night as a result.

"Willie's my friend and he has to have his day in court," McDonald said Wednesday.

Lt. Tom Monahan, head of the sex crimes unit, said the charge against Ramirez stems from an incident that took place the night of July 18, about three weeks before Ramirez went to work for the city.

"It was not a forcible rape type of thing," Monahan said, "but it certainly was unwanted, inappropriate and illegal."

Ramirez is accused of fondling a juvenile female. Monahan declined to go into details about the incident because of the victim's age, believed to be about 17.

Monahan said the crime took place in a public location with only two people present -- the victim and the accused.

He said the two-month delay in the arrest was due to a lengthy investigation and cases involving higher priority.

Ramirez tested for the city's vacant public information officer position in July. Although he was not offered that job, he was hired as a temporary employee for a position that had not been advertised. As a result, according to Anderson, he is considered an hourly employee with benefits and does not yet have classified status or union protection. He faces possible termination.

Before going to work for the city, Ramirez was a sports reporter for the View, a community news supplement published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and distributed in the Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun. SUN REPORTER

Erin Neff contributed to this story.