Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Mom Blames Teen Son for Horrifying Murder She Committed: Cops

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this law and crimes series ad free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts or Spotify. So your mom killed your sister's baby daddy and your brother is going down for it. A mother accused of murdering her daughter's teenage boyfriend, but police say there's a twist and she tried to initially pin the crime on her own son. Hi Angela, I don't know if you remember me. I lay out the twisted story. Welcome to Crime Fix, I'm Anjanette Levy. Josue Ruiz, whose family called him Jay, was shot to death on March 4th, 2022 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jay Ruiz was only 16 years old. He was dating a pregnant teenage girl,

Starting point is 00:00:46 and police said that relationship was part of the motive for his murder. Back in June of 2022, three months after Jay Ruiz's murder, the brother of his girlfriend, 16-year-old Angelo Baldonado, was arrested and charged with murdering Jay Ruiz. You can see him in this still shot from body camera footage. That same month, detectives went to speak with a teen friend of Angelo Baldonado, who Angelo had used as an alibi. So when Jay was killed, you were where? Like I said, I'm not sure. I was either in Espanola with my family, or at home, or here.

Starting point is 00:01:26 Because I was trying to figure out schedules with her so that way I could get time to go down to Espanola. Because my dad has property and we had to clean that out and get his long games divided between my siblings. So you're in there at Espanola or possibly here. When you go to Lisa's house, she's crying and they tell you her boyfriend is not showing up here. So, here's the thing, Anthony York. Okay? I'm going to tell you that the reason why Angelo was arrested is because I have enough evidence to know that he shot James. And stop with the BS because I know you know what happened. You are at that house all the time. Yes, you are. Yeah, I'm there all the time. I just remember and I know what happened. I don't know, Jay. I don't know nothing like that. I already know what happened.

Starting point is 00:02:28 I knew my parents. Yeah, okay, yeah. If you guys are going further, he can get an attorney with my mother. Okay, fair enough. So this friend says again he doesn't know what happened. You wouldn't be here if you weren't dragged into this by Angela, okay? So he got dragged into it he don't know and i know like i told you earlier no i know he knows something because i've talked to other people as well and other people have brought his name into the conversation i'm not going to ask him questions

Starting point is 00:02:55 but like i told you earlier we hung out since we were little kids i know and that's why i know you know what happened and I'm done asking you questions since you asked for an attorney. I'm letting you know that I told you he was not in trouble because I know he didn't shoot. I know he knows what happened. He just wants you to get to the story. Right. And the reason why I'm here is because Angelo said he was there. The sister of this friend of Angelo tries to defend her brother, and the detective basically tells them they're going to go a different direction since they won't cooperate. So work on that because this is going to go a whole different route. Again, the reason why I'm here is because Angelo himself said he was with Anthony and Annalise.

Starting point is 00:03:39 Okay. Okay. Well, like I said, what if Angelo is lying, though? So you can't push him to say something if Angelo is lying that but so angelo is not the only person but what are the other persons also like so now i have two liars and then one innocent person right got it we're done having this conversation we'll go a whole different route get a new turn okay have a good day i want to tell you about a great free app that gets you cash back on things like gas and groceries and restaurants. It's called Upside. This is real cash back. It's money that appears in your Upside

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Starting point is 00:05:03 Police would later say that Angelo Baldonado didn't pull the trigger, but it would take some time. A little more than a year after Jay Ruiz's murder, detectives spoke with a woman who claimed she got the real story about what happened from Angelo Baldonado's brother through Facebook. But I've been kind of watching, you know, everything that goes on on Facebook, and I was able to see that Gibby was pretty hateful towards his mom and would always make

Starting point is 00:05:39 like comments about her and, you know, the family. And then he started making posts about the brother being there, that he doesn't belong there. And so I figured maybe I could get him to say something about it. He was like the weakest link in the family. So I messaged him. Now, the detective spoke with this woman by phone, and they interviewed her a little more than a year after Jay Ruiz's murder. She said that she had a fake Facebook account prior to this happening and she continued to read the conversation that she had with Angelo Baldonado's brother to the detectives. Why is your brother locked up?

Starting point is 00:06:17 Because my mom and him went to go fight my sister's baby daddy because he beat her. And when they got there, my sister's baby daddy tried he beat her. And when they got there, my sister's baby daddy tried to pull out a gun, but he got hit before he could even get his gun. But they put the murder on my brother. I said, that's real f***ed up why they put it on your brother. He said supposedly witnesses were there and said it was him. And they say they also got video and that it looks like him in the video, but you can't see. All you see is a big ass group and then everybody scatters. So Angelo Baldonado's older brother is telling this woman, according to her, that his brother did not commit this murder, but he's being blamed for it. I said, what the f*** your mom didn't tell nobody it wasn't him. He said, nope.

Starting point is 00:07:02 I said, if I had kids and it was them or me i'd say i did it i never want to be like my mom i hope he gets out that's so fucked up he said the crazy part is my little brother ain't telling on my mom i said there's i said there's no way my brother is getting out he should man and he said that's what i say. So what do I got to do for a picture? I said, this makes me angry. What's wrong with these moms? We got stuck with men. And then I sent him a picture, not of me. And then he said, damn, you're stunning. The conversation continues with Angelo Baldonado's brother confirming that their mother killed Jay Ruiz and is letting Angelo take the fall for it.

Starting point is 00:07:46 I said, so your mom did it and let your brother go down? And he said, yep. I said, man, our moms have to be related or something. He said, for real, they ought to be. I said, that's why I have you try to tell your brother to tell. He said, yeah. He said, yeah, but he tells me no, but that's how we was raised. No matter what the situation is, don't tell. And if we do, we got to face consequences. Now you can imagine hearing something like this would probably leave you in a state of disbelief. The woman said she confirmed what the brother had said. Your mom killed your sister's baby daddy and your brother is going down for it. He said, I don't know how beautiful. I really don't. I wish I did, though. And yeah, pretty much.

Starting point is 00:08:31 This information and new evidence appears to have changed the entire direction of the case. That same month, detectives went back to Angelo Baldonado with a warrant to collect his DNA and fingerprints. Hi, Angelo. I don't know if you remember me. I'm Detective Anna Lucia. We talked like some time ago. The detective told Angelo that she was there to get his DNA and prints, but wasn't there to speak with him.

Starting point is 00:09:06 The detective then engages in a little bit of small talk with Angelo about what his day is like in juvenile detention. Well, right now we're on a spring break. Spring break schedule? Yeah, we're gonna have school this week. But then after school we wake up like 6, yeah, we wake up like 6 something in the morning, like 6.30ish, brush our teeth, do some, I wet my hair, wet my hair, and then we'll go on to school at 7.30. Go to two classes in the morning, come back to the unit at 9, eat a snack, go to school again until, what is it, until, like, yeah, 1.35. And then go down for county lines. It's very difficult to hear. But later in the video, Angelo Baldonado asks the detective

Starting point is 00:09:54 whether they will drop the charges he faces if he tells them what happened the night that Jay Ruiz was killed. I do know. My main question is if everything we have in question. If everything would be happening, what would I do? At least the first degree drop-down. So what would be the way to work around it? So if you're wanting to now give a statement, we can definitely schedule an appointment where it's me, you, and the attorney. And then I'm more than willing to talk to you then.

Starting point is 00:10:26 Less than two months later, in May of 2023, Angelo Baldonado's mother, Elizabeth Ortiz Chavez, was charged with murdering Jay Ruiz, and she was also charged with sexual exploitation. Police said they found 23 images of child sex abuse on Ortiz Chavez's tablet. Angelo Baldonado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and assault with intent to commit a felony. He is going to be in juvenile detention until he's 21 years old. He told detectives his mother set him up to take the fall for the murder. I want to bring in David Sarney. He is a retired NYPD detective.

Starting point is 00:11:04 David, you know, this case is unbelievable to me. The allegation here is that the mom, Elizabeth Ortiz Chavez, was basically encouraging and was there setting up this, I guess, fight between Angelo Baldonado and Jay Ruiz. And then she ends up actually shooting and killing Jay Ruiz and lets Angelo take the fall. I find this to be unbelievable because as a mom, I would think your first instinct would be, of course, to protect your children, but not to let your child take the fall for such a heinous crime, murder, the most serious crime you can commit in our justice system. Yeah, it's beyond the pale. And, you know, thanks for having me. And looking at this case, you know, I've seen bad parenting. This just takes, you know, beyond. And like you just said,

Starting point is 00:11:58 it's, you know, a mother who, you know, whatever, whatever your kid is going to do and i've not ever seen a parent kind of shy away from even if they didn't do it if their kid didn't do it they would take the blame this mother and mother by birth only because i mean think about this that you you let your kid go to prison and knowing that you're the one who committed the crime, it's unbelievable for someone to do that to their own kid and let them take the fall. What really is interesting to me about this case is the fact that a year passes. Angelo Baldonado is a 16-year-old kid. He's in juvenile detention. And he's facing a first-degree murder charge or a conspiracy to commit murder.

Starting point is 00:12:43 You know, he's facing very serious charges. And then the police get this call, which I find to be really fascinating, from this woman who says, hey, I don't think this is how this crime happened. And I have been talking to Angelo's brother and he gives me the lowdown. He gives me the scoop on what really happened. She said she had been watching this whole thing unfold on Facebook. And she basically gets the entire story from Angelo Baldonado's older brother who says, my mom did this and my brother is taking the fall for it. So this woman is really, you know, the hero in this in a way, because she changes the entire course of this investigation.

Starting point is 00:13:32 Yeah. I mean, when you talk about investigations and deal with homicide investigations, murder investigations, detectives are going to do the due diligence to make sure the person's arrested. And based on the information that they had at the time, you have a solo shooter. Even though there was information, there was information, you know, I believe they spoke to the mother. The mother denied involving herself in the initial meeting. She was supposed to schedule the meeting. She denied it. She also apparently lied when they asked about guns. There's her son of access to guns. And she said no. There was a family member who said yes. The investigation didn't end, and that's the benefit of this

Starting point is 00:14:11 because detectives aren't going to let someone take the rap. What they had at that point was a perpetrator who was involved in that. I don't know if he immediately gave it up in the interrogation room, but evidence pointed to him. And the district attorney's office thought it was enough to validate this arrest and indictment and eventually prosecution and then sentencing. Now, this is the one thing on social media. It can be a hindrance and an assistance. In this case, it did.

Starting point is 00:14:41 And, you know, the detectives were quick in response to that because you don't want to see somebody incarcerated who didn't do it. And this information, whether it when it came to light, was beneficial. You know, this is where, you know, detectives, unfortunately, and I'm not going to say all the time, but they focus primarily on one story and one incident. But you have to really take totality circumstances. How much did they know who was at the scene of the crime when it happened? I know that, you know, they had worked on the mother's information, on her statements, but I don't know what the kid said in the interrogation room. He took responsibility totally for it and then had some, obviously, you know, watching his mother, you know, do what she does and be free for what crimes committed.

Starting point is 00:15:26 The mom did a heinous thing. But the benefit is a witness who wasn't even on scene, but use social media and utilize social media aspect to get this case reopened and get the right, you know, the right prosecution. Not just for the, you know, beneficial for the victim. You know, the victim. Now you have the right person who committed the crime, or at least right now you do because of the evidence that went that way. So you have to say she did the, the, the witness, the, the Facebook witness in a sense, very hopeful in getting what, you know, not about justice, but getting the right thing done. You know, it's interesting to me too. So this witness comes forward,

Starting point is 00:16:07 then they go to the jail to take Angelo's, you know, he's already been in juvenile detention for almost a year at this point. They go back to him to take his prints and stuff. There's some body camera footage. And then he voices an, to the detective. She can't talk to him because he's got counsel. But he says he basically, Hey, if I tell you what happened, will you drop the charges? So he, at that point, I think had been sick of being in, in jail and sick of being the fall guy and was ready to tell what happened. And she told him, I'll arrange a meeting with the district attorney, or I'll talk to the DA and we'll have to arrange a meeting with your lawyer. And then you can give a statement at that time. So, I mean, this is a kid,

Starting point is 00:16:57 I don't know, maybe some time in jail did some good. I mean, and maybe he saw the light and said, you know, maybe I shouldn't be taking the fall for my mother. Yeah. Time, you know, when you're away, I, sometimes when it comes to juveniles, they don't understand the ramifications of their actions or what they say. And in this case, this is what you see. The kid's incarcerated. He's been sentenced for the shooting. And you're like, wait a minute, I didn't do this. And it takes a lot. And I always say it takes a lot for detectives to move on a case that they think is already done at times. And I say this, you know, it all depends. And I think what was beneficial is the detective moved

Starting point is 00:17:35 on it quickly once they had another more information because you have Facebook and, you know, you need to get, and I always say this totality of circumstances, you have to get all the facts in a row. You're having one person saying this is what's happened based on that information. So you look at it again. Now you have the perpetrator saying, well, is that really what happened? And as a detective, I'm hearing that. I'm like, we've got to get moving on this. What do you mean this is not what happened?

Starting point is 00:17:59 And that's in my head. We can't ask him questions. He's attached to counsel. But you're going to make a move on this to make sure that now you have Facebook, and you also have the victim's recantation of whatever he said about this shooting. And now you have that open other investigation. They say this all the time. Detectives want to do the best job they can.

Starting point is 00:18:21 It's always not about justice, but doing the right thing. Because justice for some is not justice for others. But the benefit is detectives in this, with all of this, when all of this work came in, they also went to the prosecutor and the prosecutor said, we cannot have this miscarriage go on. Let's reopen this investigation. Let's look into the mom and get what's done properly. Yeah. and they arrested her in May. So this was about a month and a half later that they take her into custody. Right now, and I've tried to reach out to her attorney at the time of this recording,

Starting point is 00:18:54 he has not gotten back to me, but she's scheduled for a change of plea hearing next month on the murder case. So there may be some activity there. She may be changing you know, changing her plea from not guilty to guilty on the murder charge. She still faces those, you know, bizarre child sexual exploitation charges, which is a whole different thing. So it appears possibly that the murder case could be coming to an end.

Starting point is 00:19:31 Yeah, that's a thing, too, that you're looking at, which is, you know, maybe she saw the light also. I mean, your kid has turned on you. He doesn't want to see you anymore. And maybe this, you know, people don't realize, you know, some people are callous. Some people will take things to the grave. Others can't. And you've had your kid in prison, juvenile detention, but he's been arrested for a crime you committed. You let that happen. You let him stew for that long. have an extent an extended case outward when it comes to the child porn that she had on her um on and on her computer on her um on her phone and the like and all the work they're doing on that so that's separate to what this is going to be so she please he takes the plea and she takes the for the murder charge or they reduce the reduce the charge i don't know what they're going to do i know they i believe they're reducing the charge for this for her son to conspiracy which is yes a little bit better than the murder. So that's a benefit.

Starting point is 00:20:27 But, you know, you still- And he'll get out when he's 21. Yeah. And the reality is a kid, there's a dead kid in this. This is something we have to really look at. Apparently the kid that he met up with, they had an altercation prior, he decides that he's going to commit,

Starting point is 00:20:43 you know, they're going to meet. And from one story is she pulled the gun out before the other kid did, but where's the gun? And like every gun that happens, they do what we call a patrol bounce. It just bounces and disappears. So we don't know where that gun ever went. If you even had a gun, that's a story they use. But the reality is the mom went to a fight over their daughter and shot the boyfriend. I mean, these are kids. There's better ways of handling these things. And to see a parent go beyond and above to murder, don't shoot somebody to make a warning. You shot the kid there's a chance potential that someone dies if they're being shot to do that and and i i give credit to the detectives i give credit to the the

Starting point is 00:21:31 facebook witness in a sense the outcrier best best way of putting is not really a witness but an outcrier because she got information um you hope these things never happen again and the reality is if you look back and i think the biggest issue are juveniles and dealing with stressful situations dealing with conflict they have a major problem and we see juvenile crime rising and i look at albuquerque and you know those guys do amazing work but the amount of violence between juveniles that i was reading it's just it's beyond and we're seeing this nationally where kids are really are engaged in this. And a parent, you know, puts themselves out there to do this. Where's the adult? Where's the adult in the room? I quote the adult in the room.

Starting point is 00:22:12 There was one, but she did the murder. She shot him. So it's I don't know. I it's a it's a bizarre case. It's bizarre and just really awful and very, very sad. And Jay Ruiz should be here with his family. David Cerny, thank you so much. Appreciate your time as always. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Starting point is 00:22:37 Thank you. Stay safe. Enjoy your new year. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Janette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.

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Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Mom Blames Teen Son for Horrifying Murder She Committed: Cops

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Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Mom Blames Teen Son for Horrifying Murder She Committed: Cops

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