CHANDLER, Ariz — Carlos Doiron was shot and killed on his daughter’s 11th birthday.
He had just dropped off a gift for her at her Chandler home when he was murdered outside the house on December 5 near Chandler Boulevard and Arizona Avenue.
Chandler police said Domingo Luz, 37, killed Doiron, 29 after the pair got into a verbal altercation while on the road minutes before the gift delivery.
“The pain in my heart is something I cannot even explain,” said Doiron’s mother, Leticia Morales. “He robbed our happiness.”
Doiron’s world was his daughter, Mireina. He had spent a lot of time looking for the perfect gift for her and had planned a special day for her, Morales said.
“He was really happy to go see her, and he was excited to take her the gifts that he bought for her and was going to take her for dinner,” she added.
The special day turned into a tragedy before 5 p.m.
After the verbal argument, court documents said Doiron dropped off the gift for his daughter, and Luz allegedly followed him there.
Luz then drove back to his apartment to retrieve a firearm and drove back to confront Doiron about the road rage incident.
The suspect allegedly fired multiple shots at Doiron’s vehicle as the victim was backing out of a driveway, and one of the shots fatally struck his head.
Luz’s vehicle was later identified through video surveillance of the shooting. The suspect allegedly told police he fired his gun only to scare Doiron, records show.
The suspect’s own son and girlfriend were allegedly in the car with Luz when he committed the shooting, police said.
Luz was arrested on Dec. 7 and booked into jail on several charges, including first-degree murder.
Court records said 10 minutes passed from the time of the altercation to when Doiron was killed.
“He had 10 minutes to think about it, he had 10 minutes to make a better decision, and he didn’t,” Morales said. “Nobody deserved to go the way my son went. That was just a cowardly move.”
Morales said her son, the oldest of three, was a fighter. He pushed through and fought even when a car accident left him in a wheelchair when he was only 18 years old.
“He was loving, caring, happy. He just wanted to live his life to the fullest. That’s what he wants everyone else to do, is live their lives to the fullest,” Doiron’s mother said.
Flowers, balloons, and candles now sit where Doiron’s life was cut short. Among those missing him is his four-legged son Cujo.
Since the day of the shooting, Morales said Cujo “just lays there waiting for him to come back, looking at the spot where he parked his truck, looking for him.”
“Not hearing his voice is the hardest thing. It’s been difficult. We will forever miss him and never forget him,” Doiron’s mother added.
The family is fundraising for funeral expenses; you can donate here.
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