Blaine Tabares

On the morning of January 14, 2021, police were called to the 6500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in the Carondelet neighborhood of south St. Louis. On the street, they found the body of Blaine Tabares, a 68-year-old male resident of the block. Mr. Tabares, who was retired, had been fatally shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. Sources confirmed he was not armed.

The investigation quickly led authorities to a neighbor, Jimmy Carranco. Witnesses at the scene identified Carranco as the shooter, and responding officers found him with a gun. Carranco was arrested and subsequently charged by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office with first-degree murder and armed criminal action for his role in the death of Blaine Tabares.

The case proceeded through the 22nd Circuit court but was continued several times while awaiting the results of psychiatric evaluations for Carranco, which were conducted by the Missouri Department of Mental Health. He was ultimately found competent to proceed with his criminal case and was scheduled to stand trial in June.

Before the trial began, Carranco reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. In exchange for his plea, a circuit judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Carranco will receive credit for the more than five years he spent in jail since his arrest. With the sentencing, the case was concluded in June 2026.