Two resistors in a row? Into a short? Resistors usually go open circuit when they fail.
I think something else is shorting the resistor. How have you installed it? have you got insulation over the legs? If the legs are bare and you are bending them around the hot-end, then if they both contact the hot-end, the hot-end will be the short.
Another place that a short circuit might exist across the resistor is where you have connected it to cables. Once you have crimped (or soldered, or whatever) the resistor to the cables, you then have to make sure the two crimps don't touch. Some heat shrink or something similar has to go over each crimp. Also check at the terminals on the ramps board. It's very easy for a strand or two on one of the wires to bridge across to the other terminal and short out the supply.
Have you remeasured the resistance of the first resistor now that you have removed it? Did it still measure short?
A short across the 12V will cause other issues too. I saw in another post you have trouble with your steppers working. Fix this problem and the stepper motor problem might go away too.
