Two Seattle-area individuals are in custody in connection with the death of a Venezuelan national who was found in a ditch along Interstate 65 last week.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office conducted a forensic autopsy on the man on Feb. 28 and identified the victim as 23-year-old Nelson Daniel Ramos-Rivas, who most recently resided in Tillamook County, Oregon. Around 9:20 a.m. on Friday, a cleanup crew was working along the ramp from U.S. 231 to southbound I-65 in Crown Point when they spotted a Ramos-Rivas’ body lying in the west ditch, according to an Indiana State Police news release. Indiana State Police suspected foul play and initiated a homicide investigation.
Two individuals who had been recently taken into custody by the FBI and the King County Sheriff’s Office in Seattle, Washington, were quickly identified as the suspects in this homicide, police said. Charges are pending in Indiana.
The coroner’s office said all resources in locating next of kin have been exhausted, which has been complicated as all Venezuelan consulates have been closed in the United States since January 2023 due to the political instability in the country.
Anyone who may know Ramos-Rivas’ relatives or can help get in contact with anyone with connections to the decedent is asked to contact the Lake County Coroner’s Office at 219-755-3265. All information provided will be strictly confidential.
