Midlothian, IL – A Lewistown man has been charged in the 2020 murder and sexual assault of Vanessa Ceja Ramirez, a 22-year-old woman from Harvey whose body was found in the Midlothian Meadows Forest Preserve.
Dakota Petrey, 30, was charged with First Degree Murder and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault following a years-long investigation by Cook County Sheriff’s Police. Ceja Ramirez’s body was discovered on Nov. 4, 2020, two days after she went missing during a walk at the preserve. Her death was ruled a homicide, with evidence indicating strangulation, sexual assault, and partial burning of her body.
According to the Cook County Sheriff’s Department, detectives worked tirelessly, executing search warrants and matching DNA evidence that linked Petrey to the crime scene and the victim. Investigators also found that Ceja Ramirez’s cell phone had pinged near an Oak Forest apartment building where Petrey lived at the time of her disappearance.
An arrest warrant was issued for Petrey on Jan. 16, 2025, and he was taken into custody on Jan. 18 after being released from the Fulton County Jail on unrelated charges. Petrey was detained without bond pending trial.
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