Phoenix Police Arrest Suspect in 2013 Killing of Maryvale Security Guard

By Habari Entertainment

PHOENIX — Phoenix police arrested a 43-year-old man in the fatal shooting of Jeffrey Bellemare, an unarmed security guard killed while working at a Maryvale apartment complex nearly 13 years ago.

Officers arrested Joe Gerardo on Nov. 3, 2026, in Globe, Arizona, according to a Phoenix Police Department release. Authorities later booked him into the Maricopa County jail on one count of first-degree murder.

What witnesses reported in 2013

Bellemare, 59, was working an overnight shift at Graybriar Apartments, at 3810 N. Maryvale Parkway near Clarendon Avenue, when he was shot around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 29, 2013. ABC15 reported that he was patrolling on a bicycle and that residents who heard two shots found him with two gunshot wounds to the chest. Silent Witness appeal · ABC15 coverage

Witnesses told investigators they saw a man and a woman run from the area and get into an older sedan with a vinyl top. Investigators said the car may have had front-end damage. Police released composite sketches as part of the earlier public appeal. The 2026 arrest announcement did not say whether detectives linked Gerardo to either person described in that appeal. FOX 10 Phoenix coverage

Bellemare’s son appealed for answers in 2021

Eight years after the shooting, Kyle Bellemare told ABC15 that his father was a familiar presence at the apartment complex and helped protect its residents. According to his obituary, Jeffrey Bellemare worked as a union carpenter for nearly 30 years before becoming a security officer after retirement. ABC15 interview · Jeffrey Bellemare’s obituary

New information led detectives to an arrest

Phoenix homicide detectives pursued leads for years before receiving new information in 2026. Cold case detectives followed up and identified Gerardo as the suspect, police said. The department’s announcement did not describe the new information or identify a motive. Habari Entertainment could not verify a public court filing detailing the evidence behind the arrest or confirming a hearing date.

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