Man who killed Mesa Convenience Store Clerk for cigarettes dies in the hospital

Buckeye, Az (Azfamily) -A inmate, which served a decades of prison for a murder in Mesa 10 years ago, died in a hospital in the West Valley.

Apolinar Altamirano, 39, was convicted of killing an employee in a supermarket in Mesa in the early morning hours of January 22, 2015. Shortly before 4 a.m. this morning he went into a quikrip on the stapley drive and the Broadway Road and asked for a pack of cigarettes behind the counter. When the employee, the 21-year-old Grant Rononback asked for payment before he handed over the cigarettes, Altamirano shot him, walked behind the counter and grabbed several packs.

After a persecution with MESA PD and DPS Troopers, Altamirano was arrested. Ronnback died as a result of the shootout.

The shootout achieved national attention because Altamirano was an undocumented immigrant who was waiting for an earlier crime for the deportation. He was initially charged with the first degree murder and the public prosecutor was looking for the death penalty. However, a lower court took the death penalty off the table because Altamirano was intellectually disabled and the highest court of Arizona agreed.

Seven years later, in 2022, he was guilty and was sentenced to 38.5 years in prison for murder and other charges. Since then he has been housed in the Lewis prison.

Last month, on April 19, Altamirano was taken to the Abrazo West campus in Goodyear, where he later died. Officials of the state corrections have not stated what led to his death.

Grant's brother Tyler went to social media at the beginning of this week to share his thoughts about the recent death of the man who took grant's life. In part, he said: “While this message brings a measure of a painful chapter, it does not change the reality of our loss. Grant is deeply missed every day. Our commitment remains to honor his life, protect his legacy and continue to stand up for justice and accountability.”

Click here to read his complete statement.

At that time, no cause of death was released. The ADCRR says that all deaths are examined in the occupants and waiting for the results of the office of the medical examiner.

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