A 23-year-old Nevada man, Alex Renteria, was convicted of the 2024 killing of his stepfather, Christopher Brian Harris. Renteria killed him after he threw his toiletries away.
Videos by Suggest
According to KLAS, Renteria was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison on Thursday, September 17. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with his stepfather’s 2024 killing.
Fox 5 reported, citing an arrest report, that the incident occurred on October 22, 2024. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers responded to a Royal Mint Avenue residence following a shooting report.
Upon arrival, officers found Christopher Brian Harris, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries.
LVMPD detectives arrested Alex Renteria and interviewed him. The 23-year-old told detectives that the whole incident stemmed from an argument involving toiletries.
Toiletries Killing
Renteria detailed that, shortly after arriving home from work, he came across his toiletries in a trash can. He removed them, but he suspected his stepfather, Harris, had thrown them away, a suspicion he communicated to his mother.
Decided to get to the bottom of it, Renteria confronted Harris, and an argument ensued. At one point during the argument, he walked into his bedroom and grabbed a Glock handgun. He held it tight as the fight continued between him and his stepfather.
Renteria then returned to his bedroom once again. This time, he retrieved an AR-15 rifle, the report said. Harris followed Renteria and stood in his doorway. The man fired a warning shot into a wall, but Harris then attempted to grab the gun.
Then, Renteria shot him in the hand and left leg, the report said. When asked why he didn’t shut the door as the argument escalated, he allegedly replied. “It would have likely just made things weird the next day.”
A Family Torn Apart
While in court, Renteria, who had expressed remorse, said that he felt scared and that he never wanted to shoot Harris. Furthermore, Renteria shared that he never felt safe in his bedroom, going as far as buying a lock and even urinating in bottles in the room. He painted Harris as a man struggling with alcoholism and anger issues.
Harris’ biological children, however, heavily criticized Renteria’s story, saying that their father welcomed him with open arms.
“No matter if you’re his child, his friend, his employee, his neighbor, or just someone he just met, he’s not just important to us, he’s important to everybody around him, and that includes Alex,” Harris’ biological son said. “My father loved him as a son, and I find it disgusting that you would sit here, and slander him and say he was a drunkard.”
Brittany Harris, Renteria’s mother and Christopher’s widow, said that her husband, his “best friend,” treated Alex Renteria differently from his other children. She asked the judge to have mercy on her son, KLAS reported.
“He’s never been in trouble before. He has a heart of gold and never intended on this happening,” Brittany said. “Now, my life, and my son’s life, and my stepchildren’s life are ruined forever.”