West Lawn man awaits trial on sex charges
Allegedly abused teen girl lifeguard
By Tim Hadac
Ramirez
A 32-year-old West Lawn man is due in Cook County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Nov. 17 to answer charges of felony criminal sexual assault.
Mauricio A. Ramirez, of the 6400 block of South Kilpatrick, allegedly used his position as a Chicago Park District supervisor at Humboldt Park to have sex a number of times in July, August and September with a 16-year-old high school girl employed as a seasonal lifeguard at the park.
Ramirez was arrested at his home at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, about three weeks after he quit his job at the Park District.
He is currently in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections, unable to make the $500,000 bond set by Judge Maryam Ahmad. Ramirez’s attorney had requested a $25,000 bond since Ramirez has no criminal background and currently has a job at Amazon, but the request was denied.
Ramirez worked at the Park District. Most recently, he was one of the three adults who supervised seven lifeguards at Humboldt Park last summer.
According to published reports, Ramirez’s alleged crimes are part of a much larger scandal characterized by complaints of sexual harassment, abuse and assault of girls and women employed as lifeguards at the Park District. That scandal has claimed longtime Park District Superintendent Michael Kelly, who resigned his $214,000-a-year job under fire on Oct. 9. It also claimed Chicago Park District Board President Avis La Velle, who resigned.
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