CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Former Newton Police Lt. Carlos Aribe pleaded guilty on Thursday to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Camden Childers.
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Police say Uribe shot Childers after a pursuit that ended in Catawba County on June 26, 2025.
Childers, who was 21 and from Stanley, had his hands up and open before the shooting, and he was not armed at the time, prosecutors said.
Family members and friends were in court and wore shirts with Childers’ photo on them.
“But why? He was someone’s child,” said Brenda Moody, the victim’s grandmother. “He was a brother. He was my first grandson.”
Prosecutors say the shooting happened after Childers was involved in three separate chases last June for not having a tag on his motorcycle and a traffic violation.
Investigators say Childers collided with Uribe’s patrol car, knocking the motorcyclist to the ground. Prosecutors say after the shooting, Uribe claimed Childers went for his gun, but they say police body cam video showed that never happened.
“You heard in there. He made a choice. He chose to shoot him. He chose to kill him,” said Pam Pilgrim, the victim’s grandmother. “It’s just not right.”
The district attorney reviewed the video and concluded the shooting was not justified. A grand jury indicted Uribe on second-degree murder, and he was fired from the Newton Police Department. So far, he has only spent one hour in jail after posting a $100,000 bond last year.
“He decided that day to take his life, and he didn’t have that right, and now we have to pick up the pieces,” Moody said.
Uribe was not in jail Thursday night.
Sentencing in this case won’t happen until early September. He could face years in prison after the plea deal.