Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Lack Of Emergency Texas Welfare Aid To Desperate 38-year-old Mother Leads To Suicide-Murder In Laredo

Ramie Marie Grimmer

Photo: Facebook

Rachelle Diane Grimmer

Undated family photo

12-year-old daughter shot by mother died Wednesday night. 10-year-old brother in critcal condition.

By H. Nelson Goodson
December 7, 2011

Laredo, Texas - On Wednesday, Ramie Marie Grimmer, 12, who was shot in the head by her mother, Rachelle Diane Grimmer, 38, on Monday during a standoff over food stamps at a Texas welfare office in Laredo has died. Ramie died at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the University Hospital in San Antonio, Texas.
Ramie and her brother, Timothy, 10, were shot in the head shortly before their mother took her own life with a handgun. Grimmer arrived with her two barefooted children at the Texas Department of Health and Human Services office in Laredo around 5:00 p.m. on Monday to try and get food stamps. She pulled out a .38 Caliber handgun and took welfare supervisor Roberto Reyes hostage in a small office. The rest of the employees and welfare clients were able to leave the area without any incident. Reyes was later released shortly after 7:45 p.m., according to police.
During the seven hour standoff with police at the welfare office, Ramie began to post on her Facebook account. At 7:30 p.m., Ramie posted "May die 2day"...at 10:30 p.m. she posted, "Tear gas seriously"... by 10:34 p.m. her last post was "I'm bored."
Laredo police on early Tuesday heard three gunshots go off and the the S.W.A.T. team rushed inside. They found Grimmer with a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. They also found Ramie and her brother shot in the head. Grimmer died at the scene. Police recovered around 50 rounds for a .38 Cal. handgun inside the office building. Both Ramie and Timothy were transported to the University Hospital in San Antonio for medical treatment.
Their father, Dale Grimmer who had been divorced for 6 years was able to travel to San Antonio to see his children at the hospital.
Grimmer had applied for the program since July shortly after arriving from Zaneville, Ohio, but had not completed the requirement to complete the paper work, which included an 18-page application. Grimmer needed to provide some additional documentation and had expired her time allowed to apply and the case had been closed.
Grimmer first applied for welfare on July 7, then she missed her July 8, appointment. An appointment was rescheduled for July 22. On August 8, Grimmer's food stamp case was then closed and a noticed was sent to her. On November 22, Grimmer then contacted the welfare office to have her case reconsidered. She could have reopened it by reapplying again, according to Stephanie Goodman, Spokesperson for the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
She had gone to the welfare four times and four times she didn't get any type of help or any emergency aid, which most likely drove her to become real desperate about feeding her children, according to neighbors who knew her and Ramie. The Grimmer family were originally from Lost Creek, Montana.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that in the Webb county area, nearly 30 percent of Laredo's 250,000 population live under the poverty line and about $40 million of unused food stamp benefits are returned each year to the feds. People seeking benefits for food stamps have to fill out an 18-page application, which sometimes people just forego the application process and don't apply.
Laredo has about 60 food pantries around the area operated by the South Texas Food Bank, which Grimmer didn't asked for help. The welfare office was about five miles from where Grimmer lived and without a working vehicle, it was difficult for Grimmer to get around, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
An investigation has been launched to learn what led Grimmer to act and why social workers with the Texas welfare office based in Laredo didn't actually check Grimmer's living conditions before making her wait for help? State Representative Richard Raymond who Chairs the Texas Health and Human services committee confirmed the State of Texas has initiated an investigation.
Neighbors who live near the Grimmer's told Pro8News dot com that the family was living in extreme poverty and needed help desperately. Grimmer would rarely cook because she hardly ever had any food to cook. A nonfunctional refrigerator and stove were located outside an RV at the Towne North Mobile and RV Park where the Grimmer's were living in northern Laredo.
Some neighbors had tried to donate free items of food, but Grimmer would barely accept anything free. Neighbors are alleging that the state welfare social workers should have checked the Grimmer's living conditions before making them wait for help from the state, according to Pro8News.

Ramie Marie Grimmer postings on Facebook.

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