NBC on Sunday and Monday ignored the news that another illegal immigrant with past arrests has been charged for murder. In contrast, CBS and ABC both highlighted Victor Martinez Ramirez allegedly raping and killing Marilyn Pharis, a 64-year-old woman. On CBS This Morning, Christine Johnson explained, "Martinez Ramirez was arrested six times in the last 15 months, but he was never convicted of a felony and had never been deported."
On Sunday's CBS Evening News, reporter Chris Martinez explained the anger coming from Santa Maria, California's chief of police:
CHRIS MARTINEZ: Santa Maria police chief Ralph Martin says federal investigation officials wouldn't take him and he had few other options... Chief Martin says gaps in the system are what led to this murder.
RALPH MARTIN: I am not remiss to say that from Washington D.C. to Sacramento, there is a blood trail into the bedroom of Marilyn Pharis.
CBS This Morning also covered the story on Monday.
On ABC's World News, Tom Llamas insisted "a brutal murder [is] igniting the firestorm over the country's immigration laws." On the Evening News, anchor Jeff Glor suggested, "The case is adding fuel to the debate over U.S. immigration policies."
Not on NBC, however. Sunday's Nightly News and Monday's Today both avoided the story. Today is a four hour program. Yet, the network skipped this story and instead spent three and a half minutes on magicians and their tricks. Clearly, NBC's priorities are not in the right place.
In July, NBC (as well as ABC) ignored the case of Juan Emmanuel Razo, an illegal indicted for murder in Ohio.
A transcript of the August 10 CBS This Morning news brief is below:
7:35
CBS GRAPHIC: Illegal Immigrant Charged: Man Accused of Murdering Woman Had Prior Arrests
CHRISTINE JOHNSON: Police in Santa Maria, California are under fire this morning. Victor Martinez Ramirez, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history, is now charged in a murder. Marilyn Pharis was sexually assaulted and beaten with a hammer last month. Two week before, the suspect was arrested for drug possession but was released.
RALPH MARTIN: You know what we had to do? We had to sight him out. That's the problem with the system. This is not just in Santa Maria. This is all over the state of California and all over the United States.
JOHNSON: Martinez Ramirez was arrested six times in the last 15 months, but he was never convicted of a felony and had never been deported. Those are critical factors which help determine whether an immigrant can be detained.
