PHOENIX — A Valley family is in absolute agony over the loss of 19-year-old Xavier Henriquez, who was shot and killed in broad daylight.
His soon-to-be mother-in-law, Dulce Salinas, spilled her heart out during a Spanish interview following Henriquez's death.
The whole family was gathered around photos of the young man accompanied by candlelight and balloons. The family winced through the pain and choked up as they talked about his future.
"My daughter is torn apart, her love of her life was taken from her. Her future husband, her baby’s dad, she wanted a life with him. They were ready to get an apartment and a car," Salinas said.
Officers say they were called out to a shooting in a neighborhood off the Interstate 10 near 67th Avenue on Monday afternoon.
When they arrived, they found Henriquez bleeding very badly and called for medics to rush him to the hospital but he didn't survive his injuries.
Investigators say 71-year-old Manuel De La Cruz-Rodriguez, who lives next door to the family, claimed he saw two people on bikes ride up to Henriquez then heard gunshots. He then told officers he saw the bicyclists ride away.
Police disproved all of that information and upon further investigation, they found evidence that led to probable cause for De La Cruz-Rodriguez’s arrest.
Now, De La Cruz-Rodriguez is facing second-degree murder charges and was booked into the Maricopa County Jail.
Meanwhile, the police have no motive yet, leaving Henriquez's family is without answers.
"He was calm, a very outgoing kid, my daughter liked him a lot. He was the boyfriend of my daughter, my son-in-law, a good guy, someone who wouldn't start a fight," Salinas said.
Phoenix police say the investigation is ongoing.