MONUMENT, Colo. (Aug. 11, 2010) — A 50-year-old employee at a Big O Tire outlet in Monument was fatally shot Aug. 9 outside the store, and an 18-year-old has been charged with his murder, according to the El Paso County Sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office said it received multiple calls at 4:25 p.m. about a shooting that had occurred at the tire shop. Police from Monument and Palmer Lake arrived within minutes and found an unconscious Bradley Blehm, who had been shot multiple times and was not breathing. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.
A press release issued by the sheriff's office said the suspect, Logan McClelland, and his father had a confrontation with the victim in the parking lot of the tire store. Prior to the altercation, the McClellands, who were customers of the establishment, had filed a complaint against Mr. Blehm, who lived in Monument.
A spokeswoman for the El Paso County Sheriff said there were several witnesses to the shooting, which occurred in a high-visibility area.
Mr. McClelland, a resident of Como, Colo., is being held without bond in the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center on charges of first degree murder. The spokeswoman said she was unaware of whether or not the suspect had a criminal history.
A report in the Colorado Springs Gazette said Mr. Blehm had worked at the Big O store for more than a year. In an interview with the victim´s father, Del Blehm told the newspaper his son “was a motorhead, like I am. He was a hard worker, an ace mechanic” who loved NASCAR and riding motorcycles.
The paper said the victim had graduated from Denver Automotive and Diesel College, which is now Lincoln College of Technology, and had a son in his early 20s.