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OAKLAND — Raul Ramirez-Perez, a 22-year-old resident of Oakland, is the suspect in a homicide-arson case. He is being held in custody without bond at Alameda County Santa Rita Jail.
California Highway Patrol detectives identified Ramirez-Perez as the suspected murderer of 47- year-old Nathan Kolasa. The victim’s burned body was discovered near the 17th Street off-ramp of westbound Interstate 980 in Oakland. Investigators determined the victim suffered traumatic injuries, which caused his death prior to the fire.
CHP officers responded August 1 at 1:25 a.m. to the aftermath of a brush fire, where the victim’s body was found. Firefighters found his corpse and alerted the CHP. Detectives assigned to Golden Gate CHP assumed responsibility for the homicide investigation.
Ramirez-Perez was arrested by CHP detectives on August 17 at 8 p.m., without further incident. Multiple charges including murder, use of a deadly weapon, and arson were filed on August 21st against him.
His most recent arrest marks the fourth time that Ramirez-Perez has been jailed since October 2022. This includes his two prior arrests involving arson in October 2022 and July 2023.
Ramirez-Perez has two other active cases pending in addition to his new homicide-arson case. One other active case involves exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm on August 6. His other active case involves recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure on October 18, 2022. This case also includes a charge for possession of a controlled substance.
