A teenager in Yuma, Arizona, has been accused of running over and killing his younger brother in an alleged “road rage incident.”
The Yuma Police Department and Yuma Fire Department were dispatched to an incident that involved a “motor vehicle collision” in a Starbucks parking lot on the evening of September 13, according to a media release.
17-year-old Javier Figueroa “was found unresponsive” at the scene. He was transported to a nearby medical center and was ultimately pronounced dead, according to the release.
An “initial investigation” was launched and found that three individuals were involved in the incident. In addition to Javier, his 19-year-old brother, Juan Figueroa, and a 36-year-old whose name has not been publicly released are believed to have been at the scene.
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Juan was booked on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder on September 14 at 3:34 a.m., according to booking records viewed by In Touch. He is currently being held on a $500,000 bond, and a court date into the matter has not yet been scheduled.
A “road rage incident” allegedly took place in the parking lot, which police said “led to a fight between 3 individuals.” According to the media release, Juan allegedly struck his younger brother with his car during the altercation.
Additionally, the unnamed man involved in the incident was questioned by the police. The release noted that he was released after he spoke to the authorities.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by KYMA, the 36-year-old man claimed the brothers tried to attack him with a knife in the parking lot. He and Javier then got into a physical fight. The probable cause statement also stated that Juan claimed he was attempting to hit the 36-year-old man with his car to help protect his brother. However, he accidentally hit his brother instead.
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Joseph Figueroa, Juan and Javier’s father, claimed the other driver was chasing his sons and said they called him as the incident was taking place. “I told them to hang up and call 911 because the police station was just down the street, but I guess they didn’t make it,” he told local outlet Fox 8.
“I’m trying to bury one son and bail the other one. I need to know the truth, so I can help him,” the father added, noting that he believes there’s more to the story.
Following Javier’s death, a family friend launched a GoFundMe page to help raise money for “funeral expenses, memorial arrangements, and immediate support for Joseph and his family during this devastating time.” The fundraiser has earned $810 as of time of publication.
