More than two weeks after allegedly killing his mother-in-law, Ramiro Contreras, 24, has not been found. Investigators in Cleveland say he is dangerous and fear he could hurt his estranged wife, their four children or anyone else he comes face to face with.
Amy Contreras says she has the scars to show when her five year marriage to Ramiro Contreras began to change. It started one night with a knife.
"He turned around and slashed me with it and cut me on my hand," she said.
Amy alleges more violence followed when her husband struck their two-year-old daughter. So she moved to her mother's Cleveland home and filed a protective order. Then on Tuesday, September 23, police say Contreras entered the home of Amy's mother, Barbara Swearingen.
"It was horrifying, the worst thing I have ever seen in my life," Amy described.
Detectives say Contreras shot and killed Swearingen, injured Amy's sister and brother, and then came face to face with Amy.
"Why is she gone? How could he have done something like that?" Amy asked. "I was scared to death he was going to shoot me because he did turn the gun on me. And I just pushed him up and started fighting him for it."
Amy says her estranged husband took all four children to the car and blindfolded her.
"I kept thinking this is it for me, this is it for my kids," she said.
Contreras eventually let Amy and the children go.
Cleveland police have asked for assistance from the Texas Rangers and even the FBI. Police believe Contreras is still in the area.
"We've responded to any type of call that comes in as a possible sighting, we've enlisted the help of different agencies, and we're still hunting," said Detective Tom Yates of the Cleveland Police Department.
Now the mother of four says she is living life on the run and her children won't be released from protective custody until their father is caught.
"I'm having to bounce around everywhere. I had my mom and kids and that's all I had. Now I have nothing," Contreras said.
If you believe you've seen Ramiro Contreras you are asked to call Cleveland police at 281-592-2622 or your nearest law enforcement agency.
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