TRAGIC: Illegal Alien With Criminal Record Kills AZ Clerk Over a Pack of Cigarettes

TRAGIC: Illegal Alien With Criminal Record Kills AZ Clerk Over a Pack of Cigarettes

January 23, 2015 By Matthew Burke


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Illegal Alien, Apolinar Altamarino (L), Grant Ronnebeck, 21, before his unnecessary death (R)

Professional race hustler Al Sharpton won’t be causing race riots over the following story. Likewise, Obama won’t be announcing that the 21-year-old victim could have been his son, as he announced during the Trayvon Martin case. Nor will leftist billionaire George Soros be contributing funds to groups lobbying to secure the U.S. border to keep tragedies like the following from happening. Furthermore, the case will unlikely be noticed by Obama Attorney General, Eric Holder.

A heartbreaking and tragic story took place in Mesa, Arizona, Thursday evening as a hard-working convenience store clerk was shot to death by an illegal alien.

QuickTrip (QT) employee Grant Ronnebeck, only age 21, was working the graveyard shift when an angry illegal alien demanded cigarettes after dumping some change on the checkout counter. He had worked for QT since he was 16.

According to Mesa Police spokesman Detective Steve Berry, Ronnebeck told the 29-year old suspect, Apolinar Altamirano, “I can’t give you the cigarettes until I count the money.” Berry said that although Ronnebeck did give the cigarettes to Altamirano, it wasn’t enough to save his life. The suspect then proceeded to shoot Ronnebeck anyway.

AZ Central reports that Altamirano had previously pleaded guilty to a 2012 burglary charge, but had his sentence reduced to two years of probation after the charge was amended to “facilitation to commit burglary.” Court documents show that Altamirano was born in Mexico, was in the United States illegally, and a judge had previously notified U.S. immigration officials of his status.

Altamirano was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, burglary, armed robbery, unlawful flight and misconduct involving weapons since he is a prohibited possessor, after a high-speed chase that ended with an officer intentionally ramming into the car driven by Altamirano in Phoenix.

“Grant had a big heart. He was loving and outgoing and full of life,” a crying friend of Ronnebeck’s, Samantha Hansen, told AZ Central. “It’s unfair. To think it’s over a couple of packs of cigarettes. It’s not right,” she said.

QuickTrip (QT) issued the following statement about the death of their former employee:

“On behalf of the QuickTrip Family, we wish to express our deepest sympathies, our thoughts, and prayers to Grant’s family, his friends, and co-workers. There are not enough words to capture our profound sorrow. QuickTrip is absolutely devastated and heart-broken by the tragic loss of Grant.”

“Grant worked for QuickTrip for 4 and 1/2 years. He was extremely dedicated and well-liked by his co-workers and customers. We miss Grant’s constant smile and his drive to be the best.”

A Facebook post, from a new page called RIP Grant Ronnebeck announces a candle light ceremony to be held Friday evening at Mesa High School at 6:30 PM local time. Additionally, a GroupMe fund has been established to assist the family in covering their son’s burial costs.

http://www.tpnn.com/2015/01/23/tragi...of-cigarettes/

Mesa QT clerk killed over cigarettes

Jim Walsh, The Republic | azcentral.com

VIDEO REPORT AT THE LINK.

9:30 p.m. MST January 22, 2015

Friends and family of the young man killed are in disbelief



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(Photo: Jacklyn Ochoa/12 News)


Grant Ronnebeck was working the graveyard shift Thursday morning at a central Mesa convenience store when an angry customer approached the counter.

Ronnebeck's friends say the clerk was ill at ease at this particular QT, having been recently transferred from a store in what he thought was a safer area. Still, the 21-year-old was well accustomed to dealing with people in the wee hours — he'd been working in convenience stores since QT hired him at age 16.

The man dumped a handful of change on the store counter just before 4 a.m., demanded a pack of cigarettes and, when Ronnebeck tried to count the money, pointed a gun at the clerk's head, authorities said.

Ronnebeck handed over the cigarettes immediately, according to Mesa police, but it wasn't enough to save his life.

"The clerk says, 'I can't give you the cigarettes until I count the money,' " said Detective Steve Berry, a Mesa police spokesman. "At that point, the (man) shoots him anyway."

Police apprehended a suspect, identified as Apolinar Altamirano, 29, by 5:30 a.m. after a high-speed chase on surface streets and at least two Valley freeways.

Ronnebeck was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting.

"Grant had a big heart. He was loving and outgoing and full of life," Samantha Hansen, a friend of Ronnebeck's, said between tears. "It's unfair. To think it's over a couple of packs of cigarettes. It's not right."

Hansen held her 1-year-old son, Jackson, while standing outside the yellow police tape surrounding the store at about noon on Thursday.

Hansen and Ronnebeck were classmates at Mesa High School, where he took drama classes and painted his face purple — one of the school's colors — at Jackrabbits football games. They graduated in 2011.

She described Ronnebeck as a people person who made friends quickly and was "like a comedian."
"We are losing our funny friend," Hansen said.

"He didn't deserve it. It was such a shock."

A witness to the convenience-store shooting ran out into Stapley Drive, near Broadway Road, to flag down a police officer who happened to be driving by.

Police said they used a vehicle description provided by the witness to quickly locate a suspect in a nearby neighborhood.

But taking the man into custody proved far more difficult and dangerous. Police said Altamirano fled in a vehicle, triggering a high-speed chase on at least two Valley freeways that ended when an officer intentionally rammed the suspect's car, causing it to spin out in southwest Phoenix at 19th Avenue and Buckeye Road.

Altamirano was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, armed robbery, burglary, unlawful flight and misconduct involving weapons because he is a prohibited possessor. Court records show Altamirano initially was charged with burglary in 2012, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of facilitation to commit burglary and was placed on probation for two years. A court document said he was born in Mexico and was in the U.S. illegally. A judge had ordered notification of U.S. immigration officials.

Although police appreciate witnesses' help and were glad to make a quick arrest, the outcome is still tragic, Berry said.
"Unfortunately, someone took this life," he said. "Other than that, the best we can do is to get the suspect into custody quickly."

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/...abrk/22152235/

One of the Democrat's "DREAMERS".

Maddening beyond words! We must rid our nation of them, we have to,, United States of America's government will not show any of them the door. Many of us understand that.

I'd like to here QT's explanation about why Grant felt uncomfortable working that store. Then I would ask, " Why is it still open? A few bucks profit was more important than a young mans life, wasn't it?" Quick Trip will never see me in one of their stores!

The illegal alien was operating a vehicle, so I wonder if he had an Arizona driver's license? I also wonder why the US government hadn't deported him back to Mexico. If I were the family of this young man, I would immediately hire an attorney and file suit against any and every entity that "facilitated" this killer's presence in the United States. I would use the right of discovery to obtain all records concerning him from the State of Arizona, other States, the federal government, all employment records, housing arrangements, family, friends, the Arizona DA who plead down his burglary case with "probation" instead of jail, and yes the Mexican government as well including any Consulates who may have assisted him. Then I would name all those who aided and abetted this person to remain in the US in a lawsuit.

It's such a tragedy, and one that has happened thousands of times before. But no one keeps records of it. No FBI statistics on how many homicides were committed by illegal aliens. They keep them by race but not by nationality or legal status. Since being in the country illegally is a federal crime, you would think the FBI would keep very strict statistics on illegal aliens and who they harm.

My heart goes out to the family of the victim. Sounds like he was a great guy and I'm sure he'll be sorely missed by his family and friends.