Carmen Ramirez heard the words no mother ever wants to hear earlier this week.
Her daughter’s body was found near the Walmart where she was last seen on October 22 in Cornelia. Minelys Zoe Rodriguez-Ramirez, 25, sent a text to her fiance, Julio Tovor, around 9:30 p.m. and that was the last contact her family would ever have with her.
Angel DeJesus Rivera-Sanches, 24, made his first court appearance in the Magistrate Court of Habersham County on October 31. Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Christian explained the process was in the beginning stages. Rivera-Sanches will be represented by the Public Defenders Office. The defendant’s next court appearance will be on November 20.
Christian could not confirm whether Rivera-Sanches is in the United States illegally. Sources within the Hispanic community believe he belongs to a Mexican gang from Tabasco, Mexico. It has also been said he worked for a construction firm that his alleged fellow gang members from Tabasco, Mexico, currently work for. Whether or not he was brought here on a work visa is unknown. Christian said officials are awaiting documentation from ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for more information.
The Senate Committee on Public Safety Chairman Senator John Albers (R-Roswell) and Senate Majority Leader Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) have issued statements regarding the tragedy of Minelys’ death. The two elected officials stated with confidence that the suspect resided in the U.S. illegally.
“The suspected murderer, Angel DeJesus Rivera Sanches, an illegal immigrant who had no right to be here, was apprehended in Atlanta as he tried to flee back to Mexico,” Albers said.
Senator Steve Gooch expressed that: “Enough is enough. We must protect our families, uphold the dignity of those who respect our laws, and restore the security that every community deserves.”
Carmen Ramirez agrees with the senators. She attended the first appearance hearing.
“We have a right to be there,” she said, “and I made sure I was.” Rivera-Sanches appeared virtually from the Habersham County Detention Center.
She spoke with her granddaughter, 9, Jonielys Zoe, who is currently in Puerto Rico with her father. “Joni is very close to me,” Carmen Ramirez said. “She wanted to talk with me after she was told her Mommy was dead.” Jonielys left for Puerto Rico in April of 2024.
“Mimi,” as her family fondly called her, documented her fitness journey through TikTok, giving people encouragement and advice. Tovor describes Mimi as outgoing and full of life. “She loved her daughter very much and talked about her a lot,” he said.
Mimi was also involved in OnlyFans. While OnlyFans creators can upload any kind of content, like photography, creative writing, or recipes, for example, the platform is particularly popular for more suggestive work. OnlyFans has entered the mainstream recently after Beyonce namedropped the site in her verse on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage Remix.” It started in 2016.
The family does not know the relationship Mimi had with the man now charged with her murder. Tovor said Mimi had told him she was meeting Angel at Walmart to exchange a photo that he wanted to purchase from her. He was an acquaintance of Mimi’s, but he knew little other than Angel once tried to help her out of a situation. It was a photo Tovor believed Angel had seen on OnlyFans.
For now, the family is waiting for the results of the autopsy. Carmen explained they wanted to bury Mimi in Puerto Rico where she grew up. “We want to take her home.”
The family has started a GoFundMe account to raise $8,000 to help with the cost of her funeral. “We are raising funds for funeral expenses to take her to Puerto Rico and give her a Christian burial on the island where she was born. Thank you in advance. God bless you,” is the message on the page.
