An Arizona 19-year-old, Juan Figueroa, is accused of murdering his younger brother, Javier, during a road rage incident involving a 36-year-old man.
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According to the Yuma Police Department (YPD), the incident occurred on Saturday, September 13. At around 7:57 p.m., the YPD and the Yuma Fire Department responded to the parking lot of a Starbucks located on South 4th Avenue. They had received a motor vehicle collision report involving a pedestrian.
Upon arrival, police officers found 17-year-old Javier Figueroa in the parking lot. Life-saving measures were conducted by first responders, and the teenager was later transported to a local hospital. The teen, unfortunately, was pronounced deceased shortly after.
The YPD stated that the tragedy stemmed from a road rage incident involving the Figueroa brothers and an unnamed 36-year-old man.
Fatal Road Rage Incident
Joseph Figueroa, the father of the boys, told KTVK that the 36-year-old was allegedly chasing the brothers. He detailed that his sons called him during the road rage incident, and he told them to call 911.
Eventually, the three individuals arrived at the Starbucks parking lot. A probable cause statement obtained by KYMA said that the 36-year-old man accused Javier Figueroa of threatening him with a knife. The knife in question was recovered by the authorities, police said, but it is unclear to whom it belonged.
This led to a physical fight between the man and the 17-year-old. At one point, according to the statement, Juan Figueroa decided to use his car to hit the man. However, he allegedly struck his younger brother instead.
Juan Figueroa was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old man was released at the scene.
Joseph Figueroa now has to struggle with the loss of Javier and Juan’s arrest at the same time. He said, “I’m trying to bury one son and bail the other one. I need to know the truth, so I can help him.”
A GoFundMe launched to support the Figueroa family denounced the treatment they have received on behalf of the YPD. They accuse the authorities of not allowing Joseph to be with Javier in his last moments and only detaining Juan, but not the 36-year-old.
“The family has since faced confusion, conflicting information, and a lack of compassion from authorities,” the fundraiser said. “Witnesses and community members have come forward and have been turned away by YPD, yet the family has been left with few answers and heavy grief.”