WILLIAMSBURG W.Va. (WVDN) – According to a criminal complaint, on Nov. 19, an officer with the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to the vicinity of Williamsburg. The call was regarding a backhoe that was overturned on the road. Greenbrier County 911 Dispatch told the officer that a male was seen fleeing on foot. The individual was described as wearing a gray long-sleeve shirt, with long hair and facial hair.
When the officer arrived, the caller allegedly stated that the male suspect was last seen fleeing toward Sinking Creek Road and lived with a woman in a camper near an old bar up the road. The caller added that the woman drove a green Ford dually pickup.
The officer proceeded to that location and spotted a green Ford dually with its lights on near the old bar. According to the complaint, the officer then observed a male matching the description trying to walk around the building and leave the scene. The officer pulled in behind the truck and detained the male.
The officer found the male behind the building and asked him what had happened. The male said the steering locked up on the backhoe, and he left the scene to locate the owner of the backhoe.
The officer took the male to the cruiser and asked for his name. The male provided the name Joshua Ramirez and a date of birth, but stated he had no middle name and did not know the last four digits of his Social Security Number. The officer detained the individual on suspicion of providing false information, noting that it is uncommon for a person not to know those identifying details, and because the male was repeating the officer’s questions as responses.
Greenbrier County 911 Dispatch said they couldn’t find a matching date of birth for Joshua Ramirez, but it did match Joshua Raney. Raney was wanted out of Texas, considered armed and dangerous. The officer then requested a driver’s license photograph, which was provided. The officer determined the male with him was the same one in the photo.
Texas authorities confirmed multiple outstanding warrants for Raney and stated they would extradite him. Raney was additionally charged by Greenbrier County with obstruction and leaving the scene of an accident.
At the time of publishing, Raney is in Southern Regional Jail.
