Rogue Security Guard Charged with Murder at Spirit Halloween

Albuquerque –

Homicide detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department have charged a security guard with 2nd Degree Murder for the fatal shooting on Thursday of a suspected shoplifter at a Spirit Halloween store, located at 2103 Carlisle Blvd. N.E.

The man who was killed is not being identified until his family is formally notified.

The security guard, Josiah Armijo, intervened Thursday around 5:00 PM when a store employee tried to stop the man from walking out of the store without paying for several items. It was later determined that the stolen merchandise was worth about $90.

Surveillance video showed the man pulling on a basket of unpaid items while a store employee pulled back on it. At no point did the man appear to touch the store employee; he only seemed to lean out of the store to pull on the basket. The stolen goods were all recovered just as the physical confrontation between Armijo and the man began.

The surveillance video then captured Armijo, 25, tackling the man and pulling him into a steel pole before the man fell to the ground. Armijo got on the man’s back and appeared to strike him. The man, who was not armed with a weapon, attempted to get up, but Armijo threw him back on the ground without giving any commands.

Once on the ground, Armijo appeared to strike him again before drawing his gun and pointing it at the man’s face. He yelled, “Don’t fucking move! Don’t fucking move. You don’t fucking move. I’ll fucking shoot you.”

As the two men fought, Armijo holstered his gun and the man tried to crawl away. Armijo then pulled out pepper spray and sprayed it within inches of the man’s face. The man rolled on his back and Armijo placed the pepper spray with his left hand as he drew his firearm again.

The man fought with Armijo and pulled him to the ground. The man got on top of Armijo and appeared to strike Armijo. A shot was heard on the surveillance video. Seconds later, another shot was heard. 

APD 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. However, Armijo was charged with second-degree murder because he lacked the justification for using deadly force.

On Tuesday, September 23rd, Armijo, while working as a security officer, was involved in an incident at the Dollar Tree at 120 98th St NW, where a man claimed Armijo angrily ordered him to leave the property and physically “chest bumped” him while forcing him to leave the store. The man stated he was not injured but wished to press charges for assault. Armijo was charged with battery in this incident, and it is pending.

UPDATE:

The family of Chase Beltramo, the man who was killed, was informed of his death according to APD PIO Gilbert Gallegos.