Trial Starts Monday for 2 Charged in Shooting of 10-Year-Old Pasadena Boy

Two men charged in connection with a shooting that seriously injured a 10-year-old boy playing outside his Pasadena home on Valentine’s Day 2021 are set to stand trial Monday, Aug. 12.

Tanaj Johnson, 22, of Pasadena and Joseph Mekhi Knowles, 21, of Altadena face charges of attempted murder and mayhem in the attack on Mario Gabriel Ramirez. Knowles is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.

The trial is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday in Department C of the Pasadena Courthouse, located at 300 E. Walnut St.

Ramirez was seriously injured on Feb. 14, 2021, while playing in front of his home in the 300 block of Parke Street. He survived after several surgeries and was released from the hospital in March 2021, requiring extensive physical therapy.

Arrests followed a months-long investigation by the Pasadena Police Department, which included executing search warrants across Southern California. 

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Knowles is being held without bail due to a prior 2018 robbery conviction, while Johnson’s bail is set at $4.09 million. 

Johnson was also linked by police to a separate fatal shooting in Monrovia in March 2021, in which a man and his dog were killed. He faces additional charges in that case.

The shooting of Ramirez shocked the Pasadena community, prompting the creation of a GoFundMe page to support the family with ongoing medical expenses.