Danbury Police Seek Warrant in Fatal Stabbing

Danbury Police are seeking an arrest warrant against Arturo Dota in the stabbing death of Natalie Ramirez Monday night.

The charge will be determined by the court, said Capt. Thomas Wendel, Danbury Police Department spokesman. The charges could range from murder or manslaughter to first-degree assault. Dota will probably be charged within 24 hours.

Wendel said there were three people in the apartment at 5 Duck St., Monday night when Ramirez was killed in addition to Ramirez and Dota. Wendel said two were the children of Ramirez and Dota. The third person was a relative, who Wendel declined to identify further.

Wendel said there was no court-ordered restraining order in place at the time of the death. He said Danbury police records have not yet revealed if this apartment was the scene of previous domestic disturbance calls. He said there were several alls to that address, but finding out the people involved in each disturbance will take more time.

Police said Natalie Ramirez was stabbed multiple times in a third-floor apartment at 5 Duck St. during a domestic fight. Police said Dota, who was himself stabbed during or after the domestic disturbance, has not yet been charged with any crime. He remains in Danbury Hospital.

Police said they responded to the emergency call at 8:44 p.m. Monday night.

Police said the initial investigation showed there was a domestic fight between Dota and Ramirez, and the stabbings were a "probable result" of the argument.

The incident remains under investigation. According to standard police and state judicial department procedures, if Dota is going to be charged in this incident, but he is too injured to appear in court, he could be both charged and arraigned in Danbury Hospital, said Danbury Attorney Steve Smart, with the Danbury law firm of Riefberg, Smart Donohue and NeJame.

Because a person charged with a crime is supposed to be arraigned within 48 hours of the charge, the charge and the arraignment sometimes happen at the same time in the hospital, said Smart.

Wendel said it is very likely Dota will be charged within 24 hours.