In the southwestern part of Albuquerque, authorities took 33-year-old Jaremy Smith from Marion, South Carolina, into custody. This action came after a tip was received by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
A gas station clerk’s alert led to the capture of a suspect linked to the fatal shooting of a New Mexico state police officer. This development unfolded on Sunday in the Albuquerque area, as confirmed by law enforcement officials.
Sheriff John Allen shared at a news conference that the clerk’s tip about a man matching Smith’s description prompted the arrest. Smith was found in the southwestern outskirts of Albuquerque.
Smith is under scrutiny by South Carolina officials as a person of interest in the murder of a local paramedic. The paramedic’s stolen vehicle was implicated in the tragic shooting of Officer Justin Hare along Interstate 40, west of Tucumcari, on Friday.
During a foot chase on the edge of a residential area, Smith sustained gunshot wounds from officers. He was subsequently hospitalized and placed under police surveillance. Details about his medical condition were not disclosed.
Sheriff Allen detailed the pursuit, noting that gunfire ensued, resulting in Smith’s injury. The specifics of the shots fired are still under investigation. Smith was apprehended without further incidents.
State Police Chief Troy Weisler mentioned that the investigation into Smith’s actions since Officer Hare’s death is in its early stages. Smith’s detention offers a chance for the community to start the grieving process for the officer. Weisler and Allen refrained from discussing potential charges and declined to provide additional information.
The tragic sequence began around 5 a.m. Friday when Officer Hare responded to assist a motorist with a flat tire on I-40. The motorist, emerging from a white BMW, shot Hare unexpectedly and then commandeered the police vehicle after further assaulting the officer.
Investigations revealed that the white BMW was reported missing in South Carolina. It belonged to Phonesia Machado-Fore, 52, a Marion County paramedic found deceased last week.
State police were in touch with South Carolina authorities by Saturday. Marion County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that Machado-Fore’s body was discovered Friday evening outside Lake View in Dillon County. She was reported missing the previous Thursday, and an autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace expressed immense relief upon learning of Smith’s capture. He conveyed his and the community’s overwhelming relief through a Facebook statement, noting that Smith would face charges in New Mexico as there were no charges against him in Marion County at the time.
Attempts to reach the public defenders’ office in New Mexico for a comment on Smith’s legal representation were unsuccessful.