Inset: James Benavidez (Brighton Police Department). Background: Police responding to James Benavidez’s alleged crime spree in Adams County, Colo., last week (KUSA/YouTube).
A Colorado man allegedly confessed to killing his pregnant girlfriend after claiming to hear voices in his head mocking him, as outlined in court documents. He is also accused of attempting to carjack two vehicles during an afternoon spree, including one from a former partner while she was inside a dispensary purchasing him a “joint,” as stated in the documents.
Before his arrest on August 28 in Brighton, James “Jaime” Benavidez, 50, was described by an acquaintance as “freaked out,” according to court records. Benavidez is alleged to have murdered Keeley Koff, 32, and abandoned her body in a Chevrolet Silverado where they had been residing.
“[The associate] was working on a Subaru with Benavidez,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
“Jaime visited earlier, left for a while, and then returned,” the acquaintance reportedly told Brighton Police Department officers. “[He] told Jaime to go away because he didn’t know what Jaime had done, but it was enough to make him uneasy.”
Police report that Benavidez, charged with attempted murder and first-degree murder, shot Koff with a pistol while they were driving early Thursday. He claimed to be suffering from PTSD and schizophrenia, stating he was “losing his mind” with voices mocking him at the moment of the killing, according to officers.
Benavidez was already incarcerated for the carjacking incidents when Koff’s body was reportedly linked to him, police state. At a Murphy Express gas station, a man reported nearly being killed by Benavidez, who approached on a bicycle attempting to steal his vehicle, injuring the man’s hand in the process, court documents reveal. The attempted car theft occurred around 11 a.m., according to police.
“This person stated they saw a gun and heard shots,” the affidavit states. “The suspect had face tattoos and was on a bike.”
The motorist told cops that Benavidez — who has a “Texas star” tattooed on one side of his face and “Cholo” tattooed on the opposite side — said, “Gimme your f—ing car,” before pointing a “black pistol” at his face, per the affidavit.
“[The man] feared for his life and attempted to defend himself by grabbing the gun with his left hand,” police allege. “At this point, [the motorist] knew the gun was authentic and not a fake gun. As [the motorist] struggled with the male over the gun, he used his right hand to grab a knife which he kept in the center console. At that point, the gun discharged.”
Benavidez allegedly tried shooting the man a second time but the gun “jammed,” according to the victim. “At this point, the male disengaged and returned to his bike which was parked by the exterior bathroom door,” the affidavit says.
From there, Benavidez allegedly went to see the associate with the Subaru and then to an ex-girlfriend’s house, where he asked about getting a marijuana “joint” for him to smoke.
“[The ex] said Jaime looked ‘very pale,'” according to the affidavit. “Jaime informed [the ex] that he had a long walk from a friend’s house,” the document adds.
The woman told cops that she went to the Galaxy Greens Dispensary at 125 W Bridge St. and purchased the joint for Benavidez. When she came back out, however, her Dodge Nitro SUV that she was driving and Benavidez were both gone.
Cops began searching for the vehicle and eventually caught up with Benavidez at an address in Brighton, located in northeast Denver, where he “frequently stayed,” according to police. An officer attempted to make contact with him, and Benavidez allegedly opened fire.
“As he activated his lights and pulled up behind the Dodge Nitro, the driver of the Dodge Nitro, James Benavidez, turned and fired five rounds from a 9 mm handgun through the rear window of the Dodge Nitro, causing the rear window to explode in shattered glass,” the affidavit says. “The bullet holes struck Officer Sumner’s marked patrol vehicle’s hood twice, the passenger side of the front windshield twice, and the roof once. Officer Sumner was seated in the driver’s seat when all five rounds struck his vehicle. Officer Sumner then exited his vehicle and returned fire.”
Benavidez allegedly “eluded officers for approximately 11 minutes” and traveled “just shy of 11 miles” — reaching speeds over 100 mph — before the pursuit culminated “exactly where it had started, in front of 10700 Brighton Road,” per cops.
“James Benavidez came to a stop in the middle of the road, exited his vehicle, laid down in the road and surrendered,” the affidavit says.
Once in custody, Benavidez allegedly began talking about his mental health problems and how he had killed Koff, but he was still unaware that her body had been found, according to police. He refused to speak to investigators further after being told that Koff was found.
Surveillance video allegedly shows Benavidez ditching the Silverado that he and Koff lived in on the street where she was found at around 2 a.m. Thursday, roughly seven hours before his carjacking spree began, cops say.
In addition to attempted murder and murder, Benavidez is also facing multiple counts of aggravated robbery, felony menacing, motor vehicle theft and other charges. He remained jailed Thursday at Adams County Detention Center, with his bail set at $100,000 and a court appearance scheduled for Monday.
