Inset: James Benavidez (Brighton Police Department). Background: Police responding to James Benavidez’s alleged crime spree in Adams County, Colo., last week (KUSA/YouTube).
A Colorado man allegedly told police he killed his pregnant girlfriend after hearing voices in his head “laughing at him,” according to court documents. He is also accused of going on an early afternoon crime spree in which he attempted to steal two cars at gunpoint, including one that belonged to a former lover while she was allegedly in a dispensary buying him a “joint,” according to court documents.
An acquaintance described James “Jaime” Benavidez’s demeanor as “freaked out,” before the 50-year-old was arrested on Aug. 28, in Brighton, according to court documents. Benavidez allegedly killed Keeley Koff, 32, and left her body in a Chevrolet Silverado they had been living out of.
“[The associate] was working on a Subaru with Benavidez,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
“Jaime stopped by earlier, left briefly, then returned,” the man allegedly recalled to Brighton Police Department officers. “[The associate] told Jaime to leave because he had no idea what Jaime did, but it was enough to worry him.”
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Police say Benavidez, who is charged with attempted murder and first-degree murder, gunned down Koff with a pistol while they were driving together early Thursday. He claimed to suffer from PTSD and schizophrenia, and he said he was “losing his mind” and heard voices “laughing at him” at the time of the killing, according to cops.
Benavidez was already behind bars for the carjacking spree when Koff’s body was allegedly found and connected to him, police say. A man at a Murphy Express gas station reported that he was almost killed by Benavidez, who rode up on a bicycle and tried stealing his vehicle — shooting the man in the hand in the process, according to court documents. The incident occurred at around 11 a.m., police say.
“This person stated they saw a gun and heard shots,” the affidavit states. “The suspect had face tattoos and was on a bike.”
The motorist told cops that Benavidez — who has a “Texas star” tattooed on one side of his face and “Cholo” tattooed on the opposite side — said, “Gimme your f—ing car,” before pointing a “black pistol” at his face, per the affidavit.
“[The man] feared for his life and attempted to defend himself by grabbing the gun with his left hand,” police allege. “At this point, [the motorist] knew the gun was authentic and not a fake gun. As [the motorist] struggled with the male over the gun, he used his right hand to grab a knife which he kept in the center console. At that point, the gun discharged.”
Benavidez allegedly tried shooting the man a second time but the gun “jammed,” according to the victim. “At this point, the male disengaged and returned to his bike which was parked by the exterior bathroom door,” the affidavit says.
From there, Benavidez allegedly went to see the associate with the Subaru and then to an ex-girlfriend’s house, where he asked about getting a marijuana “joint” for him to smoke.
“[The ex] said Jaime looked ‘very pale,'” according to the affidavit. “Jaime informed [the ex] that he had a long walk from a friend’s house,” the document adds.
The woman told cops that she went to the Galaxy Greens Dispensary at 125 W Bridge St. and purchased the joint for Benavidez. When she came back out, however, her Dodge Nitro SUV that she was driving and Benavidez were both gone.
Cops began searching for the vehicle and eventually caught up with Benavidez at an address in Brighton, located in northeast Denver, where he “frequently stayed,” according to police. An officer attempted to make contact with him, and Benavidez allegedly opened fire.
“As he activated his lights and pulled up behind the Dodge Nitro, the driver of the Dodge Nitro, James Benavidez, turned and fired five rounds from a 9 mm handgun through the rear window of the Dodge Nitro, causing the rear window to explode in shattered glass,” the affidavit says. “The bullet holes struck Officer Sumner’s marked patrol vehicle’s hood twice, the passenger side of the front windshield twice, and the roof once. Officer Sumner was seated in the driver’s seat when all five rounds struck his vehicle. Officer Sumner then exited his vehicle and returned fire.”
Benavidez allegedly “eluded officers for approximately 11 minutes” and traveled “just shy of 11 miles” — reaching speeds over 100 mph — before the pursuit culminated “exactly where it had started, in front of 10700 Brighton Road,” per cops.
“James Benavidez came to a stop in the middle of the road, exited his vehicle, laid down in the road and surrendered,” the affidavit says.
Once in custody, Benavidez allegedly began talking about his mental health problems and how he had killed Koff, but he was still unaware that her body had been found, according to police. He refused to speak to investigators further after being told that Koff was found.
Surveillance video allegedly shows Benavidez ditching the Silverado that he and Koff lived in on the street where she was found at around 2 a.m. Thursday, roughly seven hours before his carjacking spree began, cops say.
In addition to attempted murder and murder, Benavidez is also facing multiple counts of aggravated robbery, felony menacing, motor vehicle theft and other charges. He remained jailed Thursday at Adams County Detention Center, with his bail set at $100,000 and a court appearance scheduled for Monday.
