A New Mexico mother, Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, has admitted to killing a teenager in a case where her teenage son was originally blamed.
Ortiz-Chavez, 49, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shooting 16-year-old Josue Ruiz in March 2022, behind Lindy’s Diner in Albuquerque... Continue reading here ▶
The trouble began when Ortiz-Chavez allegedly arranged a fight between Ruiz and her son, Angelo Baldonado, after learning that Ruiz had hit her pregnant daughter, who was dating him.
Ortiz-Chavez drove Angelo and Ruiz to an alley and then shot Ruiz.
At first, 16-year-old Angelo was charged as an adult for the murder.
Jail records showed that Ortiz-Chavez thought about confessing, but Angelo told her not to, suggesting that since he was a minor, he would face less severe consequences.
Prosecutors later claimed Ortiz-Chavez allowed Angelo to take the blame to protect herself.
The truth came out in March 2023 when Ortiz-Chavez’s other son, Gilbert, revealed the real story during a Facebook chat with a woman.
He said Ortiz-Chavez and Angelo had confronted Ruiz, and Ortiz-Chavez shot him before Ruiz could pull out a gun. Gilbert expressed anger at his mother for letting Angelo take the blame, calling her “the worst of the worst.”
The woman reported the conversation to the police, leading to Ortiz-Chavez’s arrest. Angelo, who helped plan the fight, was sentenced to four years in prison for assault and conspiracy to commit murder. Ortiz-Chavez now faces up to 18 years in prison for her role in the crime.
