Man accused of trying to rob CVS, hurting manager

Santa Fe police are holding a 21-year-old man suspected of stealing from a CVS pharmacy on Cerrillos Road and harming a store manager.

Jose Jaramillo was booked into jail on suspicion of robbery and aggravated battery after police on Thursday evening were called to the business, where a store representative reported that Jaramillo “maced” the store manager after she confronted him for shoplifting, police reports say.

The manager told officers that she saw Jaramillo take a $129.99 Nokia watch and put it in the waistband of his pants as he walked through the store with a woman. After the manager confronted Jaramillo, she told police, he said he would return the watch in another aisle and leave. However, the employee reported she saw the watch was still on him, and closed doors in an effort to prevent him from leaving the store.

Video footage shows Jaramillo pushed the manager from behind and aimed a spray can at her, causing her to collapse to the ground, a police report says.

Jaramillo later called police and said he wanted to “turn himself in,” according to the reports. At the police station he told investigators that he had been shopping with his girlfriend and did not find anything to purchase. He told police he did push the employee and used pepper spray on her, but would not identify the item she accused him of taking.

As of Friday, when a court complaint was filed, police had not found the can of pepper spray or watch, and Jaramillo’s girlfriend faced no charges.

Jaramillo was being held at the Santa Fe County jail in lieu of $2,500 bond.