Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez (KOB 4 screengrab; Metropolitan Detention Center)
Authorities in New Mexico have arrested a mother and accused her of murdering a pregnant teen’s boyfriend in 2022, a major development in a case that put the suspect’s own son behind bars for nearly a year.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, 47-year-old Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez is responsible for shooting 16-year-old Josue Ruiz in the head in an alleyway downtown on March 4, 2022. When charges in the case first arose in June 2022, only Ortiz-Chavez’s son Angelo Baldonado — then 16 years old — was taken into custody to face charges as an adult. Now, more than a year later, authorities apparently have reason to believe that 17-year-old Angelo Baldonado was taking the fall for his mother.
Ortiz-Chavez allegedly shot the victim after setting up a fight between Josue Ruiz and her son and driving to the alleyway near Fifth Street and Central Avenue. Prior to the shooting, Angelo Baldonado’s pregnant sister allegedly told family that Ruiz had hit her.
As recently as March, an unidentified woman reportedly came forward and claimed to get the real story of what happened from Angelo Baldonado’s older brother.
“She advised me that during their conversations (Baldonado’s brother) did advise her that Angelo and his mother, Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, had gone to fight Josue and that Josue tried to pull a gun on them and that he got shot before he could take out his gun, but that detectives had charged his brother with the murder,” said the investigating detective’s complaint, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “Gilbert also disclosed that the ‘crazy part about it’ was that his brother is not ‘telling’ on his mom.”
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When the accused teen spoke with the detective in early April, Baldonado said that he’d reveal the truth if charges against him were dropped, the report said.
Metropolitan Detention Center records reviewed by Law&Crime show that Ortiz-Chavez was booked in the first-degree murder case early Saturday. Court records also show, however, that Ortiz-Chavez was also charged with committing a child sexual exploitation offense more recently, after investigators with a warrant in the deadly shooting probe allegedly found images of children engaged in sex acts on her tablet. The March 23, 2023-based charge was filed in court on April 19, which is the day a warrant was issued in the case.
KOAT reported that 23 pictures of child sexual abuse were found on the device.
Ortiz-Chavez remains held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center after her arrest last Friday by the Albuquerque Police Department.
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