A New Mexico mother, Elizabeth Ortiz-Chavez, 49, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2022 shooting death of 16-year-old Josue Ruiz. The crime occurred behind Lindy’s Diner in downtown Albuquerque, where Ortiz-Chavez initially allowed her 16-year-old son, Angelo Baldonado, to take the blame for the murder. Baldonado had been charged as an adult with the crime, even though he was a minor at the time.
Ortiz-Chavez allegedly shot Ruiz after orchestrating a fight between him and her son. She drove them to an alley near Fifth Street and Central Avenue, where the confrontation escalated. Before the incident, Ruiz’s girlfriend, who was pregnant with Baldonado’s child, claimed that Ruiz had hit her, which reportedly fueled the conflict between the two. Ortiz-Chavez’s plan was to set up the altercation between the two young men, but the situation quickly spiraled out of control.
In jail calls between Baldonado and his mother, which were later included in a probable cause arrest affidavit, it was revealed that Ortiz-Chavez was on the verge of coming forward with the truth about the murder. However, Baldonado, despite knowing the real story, insisted that she remain silent for the sake of the family. Prosecutors believe Ortiz-Chavez’s motivation was to protect her son, who was a minor and would likely face a lesser sentence if convicted. She hoped to shield him from the legal consequences of the murder by taking the blame herself.
Despite her efforts to keep the truth hidden, the case took a dramatic turn when Ortiz-Chavez’s other son, Baldonado’s brother, came forward in March 2023. In a Facebook conversation with a woman, he revealed the details of the crime, disclosing that Ortiz-Chavez and Baldonado had gone to fight Ruiz, and that Ruiz had attempted to pull a gun on them during the altercation. According to the brother, Ruiz was shot before he could fully draw his weapon. The brother expressed frustration with his mother’s actions, saying that Baldonado was unjustly facing charges for something he didn’t do.
The brother’s confession led to Ortiz-Chavez’s arrest for the murder. Baldonado, though exonerated for the crime, was not without consequences. Since he had played a role in organizing and participating in the fight, he was sentenced to four years in prison for assault and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Ortiz-Chavez now faces up to 18 years in prison when she is sentenced. The case has attracted significant attention due to the betrayal within the family and the extreme lengths to which a mother went to protect her son. The tragic events highlight the devastating impact of her decisions, not only on the victim but also on her own family. The fallout from the crime has left deep emotional scars, with the surviving son expressing his hatred for his mother and condemning her for her selfish actions. The case serves as a grim reminder of the lengths some individuals may go to in order to protect their loved ones, even when it means sacrificing others in the process.
