Father of 3 shot dead in Wilmington backyard

WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- First the sister, and now the brother. Both are now dead, victims of murder, after fleeing violence in their homeland to seek a better life here in America.

Angelina Lopez says her husband was sitting in his favorite chair in his backyard Tuesday when he was shot dead.

42-year old Manuel Ramierez had just gotten home from his landscaping job. His wife and children were in the street in front of their mobile home just south of Wilmington.

They heard a shot.

His 10-year-old daughter ran toward the sound and came running back yelling, "My father's been shot!"

Ramierez lurched out of his chair and fell against the steps to the house. He had been shot once through the head.

His wife says he was a hardworking man with no enemies.

"He never socialized much. He was always outside working on his garden or in the shed. Always just outside here," Angelina said.

Ramierez leaves behind his wife, two daughters, ages 10 and 8, and a 6-year-old son.

Six years ago Manuel buried his sister Anabel. She was caught in the crossfire of a gun battle in Wilmington as she took her 2-year-old daughter out of the car.

Anabel and Manuel left their native El Salvador to escape the violence and find opportunity here, only to be shot to death on the streets of Wilmington.

Police have no suspects, only a description of a man Manuel's daughters had seen lurking on the other side of the fence before the shooting.

New Castle County Police Officer Tracey Duffy tells us, "The suspect is described as a black male, about 30 years of age, average build ... he's got either low hair or no hair, and he was wearing a blue or green shirt."

The police are hoping to hear from anyone with information that might help. If you know or saw anything, they want to hear from you right away.