Cops mum; family in dark after teen's death

Before 15-year-old Celestina Manuel would leave her close-knit family’s house on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, she would always say, “I love you guys.”

On Thursday, those were the last words Celestina said to her family about three hours before she was shot and killed by a single gunshot wound to the head from a Mesa officer while she was sitting in the back seat of her cousin’s car after a police pursuit ended on the reservation.

Although authorities have refused to release the names of the shooting victim and the suspect in the chase, the Tribune was able to confirm the identities of Celestina and the driver of the car, Gumercindo Balderas Jr., 20, through Maricopa County Superior Court documents and interviews with family members on Tuesday.

Nearly a week after the shootings, Mesa police said Tuesday that officer Nathan Schlitz, a 10-year veteran of the department, has been placed on paid administrative leave because they say he was responsible for the shootings. Paid leave is department policy after officer-involved shootings.

Schlitz has never been involved in any shootings, and has received two commendations from Mesa for his assistance in two investigations, according to Detective Steve Berry, a spokesman for Mesa police.

Police would not say whether they believe Celestina was involved in the crime or was a threat to police. According to a court document, police believe that Balderas was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The report, filed by a Mesa police officer, did not make reference to a shooting or the death of a passenger in the car.

“While detaining the driver, an incident with the driver occurred, which is currently being investigated by the FBI due to the location being on the reservation,” the report stated.

The FBI is investigating the shooting because it happened on federal land, Berry said. But the FBI has not released any information in the shootings, citing that it is an ongoing investigation.

Sitting in the shade of a canopy in the front yard of their home on Tuesday, Delberta and Saul Almaraz, Celestina’s mother and stepfather, said they were informed by Salt River police about 5 a.m. the day after the shooting that their daughter was shot and killed. They have not heard from authorities since. Nor have they seen their daughter’s body.

“We really don’t know what happened,” Delberta Almaraz said. “Nobody has told us anything.”

Saul Almaraz said, “We’d just like to know the truth.”

Delberta Almaraz said after her daughter told her she was going out with friends on Thursday, she told Celestina to be home by 8 p.m., because they were preparing to attend the wake of a family friend who had died.

Only now, the Almaraz family is preparing funeral services for Celestina, their second from the youngest of nine children, who always was happy and loved to sing, write poetry, loved dogs and had aspirations of becoming a veterinarian. She recently completed her freshman year at Student Choice High School, a charter school in Tempe, and wanted to go to college, Delberta Almaraz said.

“I just wanted her home,” Delberta Almaraz said. “When we called Salt River police to see if they could find her, we knew something had happened, but we didn’t know what. We didn’t know she was shot. I think that it was wrong. We believe Mesa police should not have chased the car onto the reservation. They killed an innocent person in the back of the car.”

Saul Almaraz said, “I feel real bad. It’s not good it happened. It was a young kid, I feel really sad. She was a great kid.”

Gumercindo Balderas

A memorial for Celestina, crowded with flowers and candles and a picture of her, is on the curve of Mesa Drive near state Route 87 where the shooting took place.

A second memorial is in the family’s front yard, adorned with pictures, flowers and painted rocks spelling out, “We miss u Celestina,” and forming a heart.

Mesa police said the shootings stemmed from an argument about 7 p.m. Thursday at the Country Club Verandas Apartments at 1415 N. Country Club Drive. Police said a car sped out of the complex’s parking lot, narrowly missing a police officer and hitting a patrol cruiser.

A police helicopter and patrol cruisers spotted the car in the parking lot of a second apartment complex and made a traffic stop, but the car went into reverse, crashing into the cruiser before fleeing toward the reservation, according to a court document obtained by the Tribune.

It all ended tragically moments later on Mesa Drive near state Route 87, when police said the driver of the car was facing a police cruiser before officer Schlitz fired multiple times at the car, killing one person and injuring another.

Balderas was arrested on Friday and on Tuesday was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and unlawful flight from a police officer through a direct complaint filed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, according to court documents. He is being held on a $100,000 bond in a Maricopa County jail.

Balderas, also a resident of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was shot in the chest, and after he got out of his car, police subdued him with a Taser device, Balderas’ mother, Connie Balderas, told the Tribune. But he broke the Taser connection and was tackled and dragged by police, she said.

Connie Balderas said her son has fled police before. A court document said the man “has fled from police and escaped custody in the past.”

Balderas’ mother said her son was at the apartment complex, where his brother lived, when an argument broke out between his sister and her boyfriend, and Celestina was sitting in the back seat of his car when he sped off.

“I think it was wrong because an innocent person died,” Balderas said.