Left inset: Scotty Goble (Smith County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Heriberto “Eddie” Ramirez Jr. (All Families Memorial Services). Background: The scene outside Junior’s Taqueria in Tyler, Texas, where Scotty Hoble fatally shot co-owner Heriberto “Eddie” Ramirez Jr. in the parking lot in October 2024 (KLTV).
A man from Texas is going to jail after he shot and killed a taqueria co-owner during a confrontation in a parking lot. The incident happened when the victim approached him about a door being slammed, while he was with his 9-month-old daughter and two sons. Prosecutors said he shot the man because he felt threatened after a brawl erupted.
Scotty Goble, aged 54, from Smith County, was found guilty of murdering 38-year-old Heriberto “Eddie” Ramirez Jr. at Junior’s Taqueria in Tyler during October 2024, local CBS affiliate KYTX reported. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Goble entered a plea of not guilty on August 26, claiming self-defense during his trial last week, with testimony in his favor from his son. Authorities said Goble initiated a dispute over a drink order that extended to the parking lot after one of his sons slammed a door while leaving after a taco lunch.
Eddie Ramirez and his brother, Edgar, followed Goble and his family outside, leading to a fight. Goble stated that Ramirez threatened to kill him, his sons, and his daughter, who was in a baby carrier, according to prosecutors. Goble placed the carrier near the taqueria’s entrance before engaging in the fight and shooting Ramirez.
His son, Justin Goble, who was allegedly punched during the fight, testified that his dad was laying on the ground and being beaten when he fired.
“I was scared,” Justin Goble testified. “This guy [Ramirez] was about twice my size… Honestly, I was looking for a gun, just in case they decided to beat him badly.”
According to jurors, Goble acted in “sudden passion” and he was found guilty after three hours of deliberation of second-degree murder. per KYTX. His sentencing range was from two to 20 years, as opposed to the five to 99 years to life in prison he was originally facing after being charged with first-degree murder, KYTX reports.
Ramirez’s wife, Amanda Ramirez, testified about how his surviving children reacted — including two of his daughters, ages 6 and 9 — after finding out what happened.
“Not daddy! What do you mean?!” the girls screamed, according to Amanda Ramirez. “It was the worst thing I’ve had to do in my entire life — to tell my babies their daddy died,” Amanda Ramirez testified. “He didn’t deserve that. We didn’t deserve that.”
Asked by local ABC affiliate KTRE to give her thoughts on Goble’s sentence, Amanda Ramirez said: “I don’t feel like justice was served. That’s not enough. Even if he would’ve gotten life, that still would’ve never been enough for me. Because nothing is going to bring my husband back. We have to live the rest of our lives with pain and misery without Eddie.”
