Ricardo Medina Jr: What Happened to the Former Red Power Ranger?

The high-octane, action-packed superhero show, ‘Power Rangers,’ has garnered many fans since its release in the 1990s, but the reality of several of its cast members is filled with tragedy and scandals. In Investigation Discovery’s ‘Hollywood Demons: Dark Side of the Power Rangers,’ the focus is on the lives of the actors behind the numerous Morphin-yielding Power Rangers, including Ricardo Medina Jr. Apart from making a name for himself as a Power Ranger, he got involved in a murder case that changed the course of his life.

Ricardo Medina Jr. Has Numerous Film and TV Credits to His Name

Ricardo Medina Jr. was born on January 24, 1979, in Kern County, California. Also referred to as Rick Medina, he is of Puerto Rican descent but was raised in Downey, California. Before being catapulted to fame, the Rio San Gabriel Elementary School alumnus was into several sports, including football, street hockey, martial arts, and wrestling. Replacing the former Red Ranger actor Jason Faunt, Ricardo landed a role as the Red Wild Force Ranger in ‘Power Rangers Wild Force.’

Finding success in the industry through his appearance in the popular show, he bagged a role in different projects over the following years, including ‘CSI: Miami,’ ‘Confessions of a Pit Fighter,’ ‘Kept,’ and ‘Parasomnia.’ In 2011, Ricardo returned to the ‘Power Rangers’ franchise in the role of the half-human cursed Nighlok, Deker, in ‘Power Rangers Samurai.’ Although he usually kept his personal life away from the public eye, we learn that his life turned around soon after he crossed paths with Rachel Kennedy, whom he met on a dating app in 2014. Not long after, she hired him to work at her dog rescue ranch in Green Valley, near Santa Clarita.

Ricardo Medina Jr. Was Released Before the Completion of His Sentence

In early 2015, Ricardo Medina Jr. had been living in Green Valley, allegedly sharing an apartment with Rachel Kennedy’s brother, 38-year-old Joshua “Josh” Sutter. On the fateful day of January 31, the two men got involved in a physical altercation at the house, which led Ricardo to stab Josh with a medieval “Conan the Barbarian” sword he possessed through his abdomen in his room. Despite immediately calling emergency services, the injured man was announced dead as soon as he arrived at the hospital.

In light of the violent confrontation, the authorities arrested 36-year-old Ricardo on February 1 on suspicion of murder and was held at the Antelope Valley jail. However, he claimed that it was self-defense as Josh forced the door of his room open and charged towards him. Initially held on $1 million bail, Ricardo was eventually released a couple of days later, on February 3, 2015, without being charged with the crime. After his release, he apologized for the entire ordeal, saying, “I’m very, very, very sorry for what occurred. I’m very happy to be out of jail, and my heart goes out to the Sutter family.”

However, within a year, on January 14, 2016, Ricardo was once again taken into custody for the murder of Josh Sutter. As the prosecution tried to build a strong case against the accused, who faced the possibility of receiving a life imprisonment sentence, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter on March 16, 2017. After a couple of weeks, on March 30, he was sentenced to a maximum of 6 years in prison. However, just three years into his sentence, in 2020, Ricardo was reportedly released from prison on parole. Following his release, the ‘Power Rangers’ actor disappeared from the limelight and has been leading a particularly private life away from the prying eyes of the media.