Ramonita Jusino embodied the qualities of a Capricorn: goal-oriented, hardworking and responsible. She identified so closely with her zodiac sign that last year she got a tattoo of the constellation on her upper left arm.
Ramonita was focused on earning money so she could knock a couple goals off her list, opening a salon with her sister and traveling. She was also interested in real estate and wanted to leave Philadelphia to find a better lifestyle.
So, she didn’t mind that she was scheduled to work on her birthday, January 12. A few months earlier, she had started a job as an overnight stocker at Walmart. She had one more shift to go, then she was going to let loose and celebrate turning 19 with her sister, boyfriend and friends that weekend. She planned to wear white from head to toe.
Ramonita and Kelixa
On Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, Ramonita was at her grandmother’s house in the 200 block of West Glenwood Avenue in North Philadelphia. She was dressed in her Walmart uniform and about to leave for her shift when at 9:40 p.m., bullets flew into the house, hitting Ramonita in the chest, killing her. She had been 19 years old for one day. A male relative was shot in the hand.
According to police, three men jumped out of a light-colored Chevrolet Impala and fired at least 20 shots at the house from across the street. The target of the shooting is believed to be a male relative. Police have not made any arrests.
“I still can’t believe it,” Ramonita’s mother, Angela Morales, said. “Sometimes I wish my phone would ring and it’s her saying, ‘Syke, Mommy, I got you.’ There are days I can’t get out of my bed because I miss her so much. I always thought home is the safest place, but it’s not.”
Ramonita was born in 2003 in Camden, NJ to Angela Morales and Jorge Jusino. She came into the world five months premature and weighing one pound. She spent several months in the hospital, and when it was time to go home, Angela dressed her in doll clothes from Toys “R” Us.
Ramonita had a sister, Kelixa Jusino, who is eight months older, and they were inseparable. For four months every year, from Ramonita’s birthday in January until Kelixa’s birthday in April, the sisters were the same age.
She also had three sisters on her father’s side, Yamillet, Carmen and Yasmarie Jusino.
Ramonita graduated from Philadelphia Virtual Academy in 2021, and the family went to Kalahari, an indoor water park in the Poconos, to celebrate. They watched her graduation on YouTube in the car and cheered when her name was called.
Angela and Ramonita
Rather than launching her career right away, Ramonita took a gap year to work, save up money and develop the salon concept with Kelixa. They planned to offer nail services, waxing and eyelash extensions. She and her boyfriend were also looking forward to a trip to Jamaica and moving in together. She wanted to start a family once her career took off.
“She had all of these plans,” her sister Yamillet said. “She knew what she wanted, and her smile was contagious. She had a big heart.”
Ramonita liked to play as hard as she worked. She was fun and outgoing and enjoyed smoking hookah and sipping Hennessy, making jokes and acting goofy. Her favorite foods were blueberry pancakes and chicken Alfredo, and she enjoyed anime and drawing. Ramonita and Kelixa loved doing their hair and makeup and posting photos on Instagram.
Before working at Walmart, Ramonita and Kelixa had worked together at a pizzeria. Angela was concerned about their safety and she was relieved when they quit. She never expected anything to happen to her daughter while she was simply standing in her grandmother’s living room.
Ramonita’s family is devastated that someone so full of life would be taken this way, and they are hoping that police gather enough evidence to arrest those responsible for her death.
“I want to find justice for my daughter,” Angela said. “I know it won’t bring her back to me—that’s what I really want—but it would bring some peace to my heart. It’s inhumane how it happened, especially to an innocent, beautiful soul like her.”
Ramonita was cremated, and her urn is in a place of honor in her family’s home.
After her death, Ramonita’s sisters Kelixa, Yamillet, Yasmarie and Carmen got the same tattoo that reads: “She’s gone but she’s everywhere.”
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Ramonita’s murder. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Resources are available for people and communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Click here for more information.
