| Manuel Ruiz | |
|---|---|
| |
| Profession: | Construction worker |
| Marital status: | Married |
| Spouse(s): | Ellie Ruiz |
| Status: | Deceased |
| Played by: | Greg Anthony |
| Season(s): | 1 |
| Died: | "Dawg Days" Accidental fall |
| Mentioned in: | "Dawg Days" |
Manuel Ruiz was the husband of Ellie Ruiz.
Before Season 1[]
Manuel and Eduardo Salcido were best friends in Mexico. They even came to the United States illegally together in a truck. After they settled, they started working construction and similar jobs. However, according to witnesses, after they arrived they weren't friends anymore. Allegedly, Eduardo said several times that he hated Manuel and that he wanted to kill him.
Manuel and his wife, Ellie, also had frequent fights during which he would leave and then return.
Season 1[]
One morning, Eduardo and Manuel were picked to work in front of a home improvement center in Farmington by a Mr. Jamison, from Jamison Contracting. As they were carrying an air conditioning unit on a roof, Manuel fell and died. Not wanting to have his permission revoked or the work halted, Jamison had Manuel buried on the grounds of his company. He also convinced Eduardo that Manuel's death had been his fault and, since they were both illegal, he should keep his mouth shut.
Eventually, Eduardo confessed what happened to Detectives Dutch Wagenbach and Claudette Wyms and they found Manuel's body where Jamison had it buried. Manuel's wife, Ellie, said he would sue Jamison for the accident.