Man who killed Mesa convenience store clerk over cigarettes dies in hospital

BUCKEYE, AZ (AZFamily) — An inmate serving a decades-long sentence for a murder in Mesa 10 years ago has died at a West Valley hospital.

Apolinar Altamirano, 39, was convicted of killing a clerk at a convenience store in Mesa in the early morning hours of Jan. 22, 2015. Just before 4 a.m. that morning, he walked into a QuikTrip at Stapley Drive and Broadway Road and asked for a pack of cigarettes behind the counter. When the clerk, 21-year-old Grant Ronneback, asked for payment before handing over the cigarettes, Altamirano shot him, walked behind the counter and grabbed several packs.

After a pursuit involving Mesa PD and DPS troopers, Altamirano was arrested. Ronneback died as a result of the shooting.

Apolinar Altamirano, convicted in a 2015 Mesa shooting, died in custody last month.... — Apolinar Altamirano, convicted in a 2015 Mesa shooting, died in custody last month. Authorities are investigating the cause of death.(Arizona Department of Corrections)

The shooting gained national attention because Altamirano was an undocumented immigrant who was awaiting deportation on a prior offense. He was initially charged with first-degree murder, and prosecutors sought the death penalty. However, a lower court took the death penalty off the table because Altamirano was intellectually disabled, and the Arizona Supreme Court agreed.

Seven years later, in 2022, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 38.5 years in prison for second-degree murder and other charges. He’s been housed at Lewis Prison ever since.

Last month, on April 19, Altamirano was transported to Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear, where he later died. State corrections officials have not indicated what led up to his death.

Grant’s brother, Tyler, took to social media earlier this week to share his thoughts about the recent passing of the man who took Grant’s life. He said, in part, “While this news brings a measure of closure to a painful chapter, it does not change the reality of our loss. Grant is missed deeply every day. Our commitment remains to honor his life, protect his legacy, and continue advocating for justice and accountability.”

To read his full statement, click/tap here.

No cause of death has been released at this time. The ADCRR says all inmate deaths are investigated, and they are awaiting the results from the medical examiner’s office.

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