Durham homicide suspect fled to New Mexico, was fatally shot by police in struggle
An armed suspect in a fatal Durham shooting has died after being fatally shot by New Mexico State Trooper during an altercation with the officer, law enforcement reported Thursday.
Oliver Ashley Toledo Saldivar, 26, of Durham fled to New Mexico after a shooting in Durham on April 12. He was killed on April 16, after charging a police officer and pointing a weapon at him, according to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
Saldivar was a suspect in a shooting on the 500 block of West Carver Street in north Durham shortly before 10 p.m. Police found a 31-year-old woman named Karla Yadira Jaramillo Noyola dead at the scene. She was the mother of four children and was allegedly shot in front of family members, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser organized for her family.
Saldivar was initially named as a suspect, Durham police said, though his name was not publicly released. But before charges were filed, he fled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, at an unknown date.
On April 16 before noon, a New Mexico State Police officer responded to a welfare check for a man reported to be slumped over at the wheel of a brown BMW on the side of Interstate 40 in Santa Fe, according to the N.M. Department of Public Safety.
The officer found Saldivar in the car and did not know he was a suspect in the Durham shooting, the N.M. Department of Police said. Police say Saldivar got out of the car at the officer’s request and then locked the car doors. While he stood next to the passenger side of the officer’s patrol car, he walked over to the officer and attempted to draw “a black object” in his jacket pocket, which turned out to be a gun, police said.
The officer stepped back and pointed his service weapon at Saldivar, police said. Saldivar then charged and tackled the officer, police said. The officer shot him at least once, police said, as Saldivar continued to struggle with the officer. Police said he bit the officer’s arm in the struggle and also retrieved a gun from his jacket.
The officer took the gun as Saldivar tried to load his weapon, police said.
A truck driver passing by the scene stopped and threw Saldivar’s weapon out of reach. He helped the officer take him into custody, police said.
Saldivar was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
The officer, who has been with New Mexico State Police for four years, was placed on administrative lead.
The News & Observer has reached out to the Durham Police Department for more details on the April 12 fatal shooting.
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