Illinois man arrested 4 years after woman found strangled, burned in Midlothian forest preserve: sheriff

An Illinois man has been arrested and charged in connection with the 2020 case involving the alleged sexual assault, strangulation, and burning of a 22-year-old suburban woman.

What we know:

Dakota Petrey, 30, of  Lewistown, Illinois, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated criminal sexual assault in the killing of Vanessa Ceja Ramirez.

Ceja Ramirez, 22, of Harvey, disappeared on Nov. 2, 2020, while walking in the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve. 

Her body was found two days later, partially burned and bearing evidence of strangulation and sexual assault. 

The Cook County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.

Vanessa Ceja Ramirez | Midlothian police

Sheriff’s police linked Petrey to the crime following an extensive investigation involving dozens of search warrants and DNA evidence recovered from Ceja Ramirez and the crime scene. 

At the time of her disappearance, Petrey lived in an Oak Forest apartment building where the victim’s cell phone was last tracked. The sheriff's office also noted that Petrey was known to frequent Midlothian Meadows.

Authorities say there is no evidence to suggest Petrey and Ceja Ramirez knew each other.

An arrest warrant was issued for Petrey on Jan. 16, and he was taken into custody on Jan. 18, after he was released from the Fulton County Jail in Lewistown where he had been held since Oct. 7, 2024, on unrelated charges. 

Dakota Petrey

Timeline:

The following events led to the arrest of Petrey.

  • November 2, 2020: Vanessa Ceja Ramirez was last seen walking in the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve.
  • November 4, 2020: Her body was found in the forest preserve.
  • October 7, 2024: Petrey was jailed in Fulton County on unrelated charges.
  • January 16, 2025: An arrest warrant was issued for Petrey in connection with Ceja Ramirez’s death.
  • January 18, 2025: Petrey was taken into custody following his release from Fulton County Jail.

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What they're saying:

"This heinous crime is every parent’s worst nightmare," Sheriff Dart said. "It took years of tireless work by our police detectives to investigate this case, but we never gave up on finding Vanessa’s killer and seeking justice for her and her family." 

What's next:

Petrey made his first court appearance on Sunday, where he was ordered detained pending trial.

The investigation remains ongoing.

The Source: Information from this article was obtained by the Cook County Sheriff's Department along with previous coverage from the victim's family. 

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