On March 8, 2017, Anchorage police responded to a 911 call reporting a deceased individual in the parking lot of a McDonald's adjacent to the Executive Suites hotel on Spenard Road. Upon arrival, officers discovered 32-year-old Craig Berumen II, who had succumbed to gunshot wounds. Investigations revealed that Berumen had been shot inside a hotel room at the Executive Suites.
In an attempt to escape, he jumped out of the window, entered a vehicle, and drove to the nearby McDonald's parking lot, where he exited the vehicle and ultimately collapsed. Authorities characterized the incident as a 'targeted drug-related crime.'
Subsequent investigations led to the identification and indictment of three individuals connected to Berumen's death. On June 5, 2018, a grand jury indicted 22-year-old Chaz Shanigan on charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and third-degree misconduct involving a weapon. At the time of his indictment, Shanigan was already incarcerated at Spring Creek Correctional Center on unrelated charges. Similarly, 25-year-old Devontay Gordon was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree robbery; he was also serving time at Goose Creek Correctional Center for an unrelated offense.
The third suspect, 32-year-old Nicole Diaz, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and first-degree robbery. Initially at large, Diaz was apprehended on June 23, 2018, during a traffic stop at Raspberry Road and Minnesota Drive in Anchorage. She was subsequently taken into custody and held at the Anchorage jail. The arrests and indictments of these individuals marked significant developments in the case, bringing those allegedly responsible for Berumen's death to face legal proceedings.
