A Washington man accused of killing two women at a bar and grill in 2023 has been captured in Mexico after authorities said he fled his home state and the U.S. following the murders.
Samuel Ramirez Jr., was arrested in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, on Tuesday, March 10, about one hour and 13 minutes after he was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, according to the Justice Department.
Ramirez’s capture has broken the record for the “shortest arrest” for an alleged fugitive on the FBI’s most wanted list, the Justice Department said in a Thursday, March 12, news release.
According to authorities, Ramirez, 33, arrived in Washington, where he will face murder charges in King County, the evening of Wednesday, March 11.
“Assistance from the public quickly helped us learn where Mr. Ramirez was hiding and successfully bring him back to King County to face justice,” Mike Herrington, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear whether Ramirez had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Ramirez had been sought by law enforcement since May 21, 2023, when he was allegedly involved in the killings of two women at the Stars Bar and Grill in Federal Way, according to the FBI.
“A third person was also injured in the shooting,” the FBI said in an alert issued ahead of his arrest.
The women who were killed were identified as Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke, according to Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang.
Following the murders, Ramirez fled Washington to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, according to the FBI.
From there, the FBI said he was “driven into Tijuana, Mexico” on May 23, 2023.
The next day, an arrest warrant issued for Ramirez out of King County charged him with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder, according to the FBI.
In November 2025, a federal arrest warrant charging Ramirez with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued, the Justice Department said.
After the FBI offered a $25,000 reward in December 2025 for any tips that would lead to his apprehension, the agency raised the award offer to $1 million on March 10, according to the Justice Department.
“This arrest is an important step toward justice for the victims, Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke, and toward bringing some measure of closure to their families and our community,” Hwang said. “We remain committed to ensuring that the suspect is held fully accountable.”
