Inset: Josiah Armijo (Metropolitan Detention Center). Background: The Spirit Halloween store located at 2103 Carlisle Blvd. Northeast in Albuquerque, New Mexico (KOB/YouTube).
A store known for promoting fun and entertainment suddenly descended into chaos when a man suspected of shoplifting was killed by the store”s security guard, authorities say.
Josiah Armijo, 25, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Chase Beltramo, 41, the Albuquerque Police Department said in a press release.
On Thursday, at about 5 p.m., Beltramo was in the Spirit Halloween at 2103 Carlisle Boulevard Northeast in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Armijo, the shop’s security guard, was keeping watch. Beltramo is said to have gathered multiple items from the store and walked outside without paying for them.
Then, Armijo reportedly sprang into action.
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The suspect “tackled the man and pulled him into a steel pole before the man fell to the ground,” police said, and the two “began to fight.” Armijo was on top of Beltramo “and begins to strike Chase with what appears to be his fist,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime.
“The two fight, during which Josiah, while on top of Chase, draws his firearm, points it directly in Chase’s face, and begins to scream at him,” the complaint reads. At one point, Beltramo managed to wrestle free and stand up — before Armijo “threw him back on the ground.”
“Don’t f— move! Don’t f— move. You don’t — move,” Armijo reportedly screamed at Beltramo. “I’ll f— shoot you.”
The suspected shoplifter “does not comply and attempts to get up and away,” the complaint states, but he did not hit him at this time, and at no point was Beltramo believed to have been in possession of a weapon.
Armijo is said to have then holstered his gun and pulled out pepper spray, spraying it “within inches of the man’s face.” As Beltramo rolled on his back, Armijo “drew his firearm again,” police said, adding, “He begins to scream again, to not move, or he would shoot him. All while holding the gun to Chase’s face.”
The men continued to fight on the ground, and Beltramo managed to get on top of Armijo, appearing to hit him, according to law enforcement. That is when a shot rang out — followed by another, “with a final shot seen raising the back of Chase’s shirt.”
Beltramo was shot in the “left upper area of his torso” as well as the “left buttocks,” authorities said. He later succumbed to his injuries and died.
Following the three gunshots, “Josiah is heard screaming on his radio that shots were fired and that he needed help,” the complaint states. Witnesses are said to have seen the violent confrontation, and store video also showcased what transpired.
An investigating officer said that “as he reviewed the videos, he did not see Chase ever make a threat to Josiah or be armed at any time.” The total cost of the items that Beltramo was accused of attempting to steal was less than $90, authorities said.
“Detectives, working with the District Attorney’s Office, determined that Armijo had probable cause to stop the man for stealing the items from the store,” the police department said. “But he was charged with 2nd Degree Murder because he did not have the necessary need for deadly force.”
