A Herkimer man is facing multiple charges after Oneida County authorities say he threw a lit explosive toward two people during an argument in the Town of Westmoreland.
According to Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, deputies responded to Eureka Road on July 7 for a reported dispute involving 38-year-old Justin Ramos.
Investigators say Ramos stopped his vehicle and began arguing with two people he knew. During the confrontation, Ramos allegedly got out of his vehicle, continued the argument, then returned to his vehicle, lit an explosive device, and threw it in the direction of the two individuals before driving away.
The sheriff’s office said the victims were forced to retreat to avoid being injured. No injuries or property damage were reported.
Authorities said Ramos later drove to Herkimer, where he was involved in a separate incident with different individuals and was arrested on unrelated charges.
Because of the seriousness of the Westmoreland incident, the case was assigned to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Unit. Detectives interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and obtained an arrest warrant for Ramos.
After being released from the Herkimer County Jail on July 13, Ramos was taken into custody on the Oneida County warrant and transported to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.
He has been charged with two counts of second-degree menacing, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a Class D felony.
Following processing, Ramos was held at the Oneida County Jail pending arraignment in CAP Court.
