Oscar Ramirez Jr., a 29-year-old man known on the streets as “O-Dog,” was arrested Wednesday in connection with the fatal stabbing of 41-year-old Cynthia Saenz. The attack took place earlier this month behind a south Phoenix bus stop, according to court records reported by AZ Family.
A coordinated attack caught on camera
The violence unfolded just after 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. A passerby discovered Cynthia Saenz unresponsive behind a city bus stop near 35th Avenue and Roeser Road and alerted emergency services. While firefighters arrived quickly, Saenz had already died at the scene.
Investigators reconstructed the crime using home security footage from the neighborhood. The video shows Saenz standing behind the bus stop around 7:03 a.m. Moments later, a silver or gray SUV pulled up on Grove Street. The footage captures two individuals exiting the vehicle; one, dressed in dark clothing, sprinted toward Saenz and attacked her. Both suspects then returned to the vehicle and fled west.
A witness walking nearby corroborated the chaos, reporting that they heard a scream and saw two thin men running across a field.
Police link Ramirez to the getaway SUV
Detectives focused their search on a 2010-13 Range Rover Sport, noting several distinct aftermarket features that made the vehicle easily identifiable. Using automated license plate readers and prior police contact records, investigators linked the SUV to Ramirez.
The paper trail was extensive. Police records showed that Ramirez had been stopped while driving the SUV in March and had taken the vehicle to a Land Rover dealership for service in June. This established a firm link between the suspect and the getaway car long before the crime occurred.
The investigation took a more personal turn about six hours after the stabbing. Ramirez’s mother called 911 to report that her son was acting erratically. She described him spending hours outside their home spraying down and washing his Range Rover. During that call, Ramirez allegedly claimed he had “walked up to a person and was trying to ‘heal’ them.”
Neighborhood surveillance later confirmed this behavior, showing Ramirez washing the SUV on the day of the killing while wearing all-black clothing that matched the attire of the attacker seen in the initial crime footage.
Evidence recovered and the victim’s warnings
When detectives searched Ramirez’s home and the Range Rover, they found a trove of incriminating evidence:
- The vehicle’s missing Arizona license plate, hidden in the glove box.
- Probation paperwork dated the day after the murder.
- Black clothing matching the description of the suspect.
An associate of Cynthia Saenz told police that Saenz had recently complained about a man she knew as “O-Dog.” She reported that he had repeatedly confronted her on the street, robbed her, and threatened her with brass knuckles and a pocketknife.
Ramirez denies knowledge of the killing
Following the attack, Ramirez checked into a rehab facility in Gilbert the next day before transferring to a home near 27th Avenue and Baseline Road in south Phoenix, where he was eventually arrested.
During police questioning, Ramirez’s narrative shifted. He initially denied that the Range Rover belonged to him before eventually admitting ownership. Regarding the killing itself, he denied any knowledge of the event, claiming he had been drinking heavily and could not remember where he was on the morning of Oct. 17.
Ramirez now faces one count of second-degree murder and multiple probation violations. A judge has set his cash-only bond at $500,000.
