Ricardo Medina Jr. (often referred to as Rick Medina, born January 24, 1979) is an American former actor. He is best known for his role as Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger on the TV series Power Rangers Wild Force, and later as Deker, the half-human cursed Nighlok in Power Rangers Samurai. He was in prison for over three years for the voluntary manslaughter of his roommate, Joshua Sutter.
Ricardo Medina | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 24, 1979 Kern County, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2002–2012 |
| Known for | |
| Criminal charge | Voluntary manslaughter |
| Criminal penalty | 6 years in prison |
| Criminal status | Released |
Early life
Ricardo Medina Jr. was born in Kern County, California, and raised in Downey, California.[1] He is of Puerto Rican descent.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Power Rangers Wild Force | Cole Evans / Red Wild Force Ranger | 40 episodes |
| 2003 | ER | Aidan Fenwick | Episode: "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" |
| 2004 | CSI: Miami | Lance | Episode: "Money for Nothing" |
| 2005 | Kept | Contestant (Eliminated 5th) | |
| 2005 | Confessions of a Pit Fighter | David Castillo | |
| 2007 | Witchcraft | Jack Bell / Drion | |
| 2008 | Parasomnia | Officer | |
| 2011–2012 | Power Rangers Samurai / Power Rangers Super Samurai | Deker | 24 episodes |
| 2012 | Bad Blood | Mark |
Killing of Joshua Sutter and conviction
On February 1, 2015, Medina was arrested after he allegedly stabbed to death his 38-year-old roommate, Joshua Sutter, on January 31.[2] Sutter had been stabbed in the abdomen with a medieval "Conan the Barbarian" sword at a home in Green Valley, west of Palmdale, California. Medina called emergency services, and Sutter was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital. Medina was initially held on $1 million bail, but no charges were filed against him from the district attorney due to requests on further investigation so he was released on February 3, 2015. Medina claimed that he stabbed Sutter in self-defense after Sutter forced open the door of Medina's bedroom, into which Medina and his girlfriend had retreated after an argument between Medina and Sutter.[3][4][5][6][7] Medina had lived in the home in Green Valley for approximately two months.[8][9]
On January 14, 2016, he was arrested again on murder charges in connection with Sutter's death.[10][11][12] At that time, Medina faced a possible sentence of life imprisonment with a chance of parole after 26 years with prosecutors planning to ask that Medina be held on $1 million bail. On March 16, 2017, Medina pled guilty to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter. On March 30, 2017, Medina was sentenced to the maximum 6 years in prison.[13] As of 2020 Medina Jr. has been released from prison as revealed in an interview with Wild Force co-star Jack Guzman.[14]
References
External links
- Ricardo Medina Jr. at IMDb
- TV.com profile Archived April 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine