Man arrested in Globe for 2013 murder of Phoenix security guard, PD says
Phoenix Police announced the arrest of 43-year-old Joe Gerardo in Globe, ending a 13-year cold case investigation into the fatal shooting of Jeffrey Bellemare. (Photo of Bellemare is courtesy of Silent Witness)
PHOENIX - An arrest has been made in the November 2013 murder of 59-year-old Jeffrey Bellemare, the Phoenix Police Department said.
The backstory:
On Friday, Nov. 29, 2013 at around 1:30 a.m., Bellemare was shot and killed while on the job, working as an unarmed, uniformed security guard at Graybriar Apartments near 55th Avenue and Indian School Road.
What they're saying:
"In the months and years following this incident, Phoenix Police homicide detectives worked tirelessly in the pursuit of numerous leads related to this murder," Phoenix Police Sgt. John Buchanan said.
13 Years Later:
Now, Phoenix Police investigators made a break in the case when they received new information.
"Through further diligent investigation, Homicide Cold Case detectives identified the suspect in this incident as 43-year-old Joe Gerardo," Buchanan said.
On Nov. 3, Gerardo was arrested in Globe. He was booked into a Maricopa County jail and is accused of first-degree murder.
What we don't know:
Phoenix Police have not said what the possible motive in this murder was, or what type of information led to Gerardo's arrest.
Map of the area where Bellemare was killed
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Sgt. John Buchanan, a sergeant with the Phoenix Police Department; and Silent Witness.