ANNAPOLIS — An Anne Arundel County jury on Wednesday, Nov. 4, convicted an Annapolis man of attempted second-degree murder for beating another man with a sledgehammer inside a moving car in June.
Ramon Antonio Rivas-Portillo, 37, was also found guilty of first-degree assault, reckless endangerment and openly carrying a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, according to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office. The verdict came after several hours of deliberation in Circuit Court. Judge Richard Trunnell set sentencing for Jan. 8, 2027.
State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess, who tried the case herself, said the 26-year-old victim was left with two facial lacerations that scarred, along with continuing headaches and memory loss. She said he was fortunate to survive.
What prosecutors told the jury
According to the prosecutor’s account, Rivas-Portillo, the victim and a third man had been drinking at a park on June 18 before leaving together in a blue Ford Fusion. The third man drove. Rivas-Portillo sat in the front passenger seat, with the victim behind him.
As they traveled on Arundel on the Bay Road, Rivas-Portillo grabbed a sledgehammer and struck the victim in the face, prosecutors said. The driver told police the defendant hit the man about 20 times. The driver stopped and pulled the victim out of the car, and Rivas-Portillo drove off in the Fusion.
County police were called to the 3200 block of Arundel on the Bay Road about 2:32 p.m. They found the victim bleeding heavily from the head while bystanders held pressure on his wounds. He was flown to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
Witnesses gave police the car’s license plate. Officers later found the Fusion empty with bloody clothes inside. Annapolis police located Rivas-Portillo, in a change of clothes, on the grounds of the Lincoln Center as he tried to leave in a car, the release said.
The release did not say what led to the attack or how the three men knew each other.
What he faces
Under Maryland law, the maximum penalties for the four counts are:
| Conviction | Maryland law | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Attempted second-degree murder | Criminal Law 2-206 | 30 years |
| First-degree assault | Criminal Law 3-202 | 25 years |
| Reckless endangerment | Criminal Law 3-204 | 5 years and/or $5,000 |
| Carrying a dangerous weapon openly with intent to injure | Criminal Law 4-101 | 3 years and/or $1,000 |
Some counts may merge at sentencing, and the actual sentence will depend on Maryland’s sentencing guidelines and the judge’s decision on Jan. 8. Rivas-Portillo can appeal the verdict.
Arundel on the Bay is a waterfront community on the Annapolis Neck peninsula south of the city. The Anne Arundel County Police Department led the investigation with help from Annapolis police.
